Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor is confident the club can keep Chloe Kelly despite speculation surrounding her future.
The England winger, who famously scored the winner in the Euro 2022 final, has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, with Man City reportedly keen for Kelly to sign a new contract before she enters the final year of her current deal.
She signed a new a three-year deal in February 2022, which will expire next summer.
But Taylor – whose team are currently three points behind Chelsea at the top of the WSL table and face Arsenal in the FA Cup this weekend – showed no signs of nerves at the prospect of losing Kelly.
He said: “I’m really confident but at the end of the day, these things happen. When players are doing well, you get these rumours that come out.
“How true they are, I’m not too sure and how much propaganda is involved. But we try and normalise things and make sure that the players keep their feet on the floor.
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Chloe Kelly curled a stunning corner kick into the far top corner to send Man City provisionally top of the table during their game against Leicester
“We’re on a really good run of unbeaten form, but we have to push to improve.
“Chloe is one of those players, she’s doing well at the moment but there’s a lot to come from her. With Chloe, you’ve got a really good personality to work with and someone who is hungry to learn.”
Fellow Man City and England forward Lauren Hemp has also been linked with a move to Barcelona. Despite not wanting to lose either player, Taylor says the club will continue to evolve if they do leave.
“We’re working so hard, just like all of the other teams will be, to retain their best players” he added.
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Highlights of the Women’s Super League match between Manchester City and Aston Villa
“But it’s a free world and if the players – or other players at other clubs – are not excited about what we’re doing then that’s when their head is going to get turned.
“We have our levels that we’ll go to, we have our way of working which is one of the reasons these players are being talked about. So for us, it’s about coming to an agreement that suits everyone.
“If players leave, which has happened to every team, life goes on. We will continue in the same vein and we want people who are committed to the club – we have that at this moment in time.
“Even with Lauren, there has been a bit of speculation, and her performances have been top class. She’s been amazing.”
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Izzy Christiansen praises Ellen White and Lauren Hemp’s prowess on the pitch, describing the experience playing against them as “horrible”
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