Russian defender Alsu signs for the Blues

By Paul Lagan

Chelsea FC Women have signed defender Russian international Alsu Abdullina on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

The 20-year-old joins us from Lokomotiv Moscow and will start the New Year as a Blue and will wear shirt number 27.

The versatile left-back has been at Lokomotiv Moscow since 2020.

Prior to Lokomotiv, Alsu started her professional career at Chertanovo Moscow, joining their academy at the age of 14. She played her first match for the senior team in April 2017, becoming the youngest player that season and went on to win the bronze medal in the Russian Championship league in 2017 with the team securing silver in 2018.

She said: “I am so happy to join Chelsea. This is a big change in my life, a new challenge. I am very proud to be part of this team, which has so many great players.

"I want to continue to develop as a player and progress in London. I want to help the team to win as many trophies as possible.’"

Head coach Emma Hayes said: "Alsu is a very good young player who has accumulated a lot of club and national appearances for her age, including winning the league a number of times with Lokomotiv.

"She is a versatile player who can play any position on the left, adding more depth to the squad. We look forward to seeing how she develops in our environment over the next couple of years."