Barcelona sign Brazil forward Kerolin from Manchester City in WSL record deal

Barcelona have signed the Brazil forward Kerolin from Manchester City for an undisclosed fee that sources say is in the region of £1.25m, which would represent the largest sum received for a sale by a Women’s Super League side.

The deal is also a club-record for Barcelona, and in terms of a fee received by an English club it eclipses the £1m that Liverpool received for the sale of Olivia Smith in Arsenal in 2025 and Melvine Malard’s more recent £850,000 switch from Manchester United to Chelsea.

Kerolin, 26, was part of the City side that won the WSL title and the Women’s FA Cup last season and was with the club for 18 months, after arriving from North Carolina Courage in January 2025.

City have already added the England forward Beth Mead to their squad this summer, on a free transfer from Arsenal.

The defending European champions Barcelona are understood to see Kerolin as a player who can thrive in the Champions League and become a regular goalscorer in that competition with her pace and trickery on the ball.

A statement from Barcelona, who said goodbye to the Spain internationals Alexia Putellas, Mapi León, Ona Batlle and Salma Paralluelo this summer, read: “The signing of Kerolin Nicoli is another clear statement of FC Barcelona’s ambition. The club remains committed to bringing together the best players in world football with the aim of staying at the top of the game and continuing to set the standard for excellence.

“The Brazilian international arrives at one of the best moments of her career to strengthen a squad built to compete for every trophy. With her talent, creativity and ability to decide matches, Kerolin adds even more quality to a team whose ambition remains unchanged: to challenge for every title and, once again, strive to win it all.”