Lauren James has been voted Chelsea Women’s Goal of the Season for 2025/26, claiming supporter recognition for a moment of genuine quality against Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final.

The 24-year-old collected a half-cleared corner in the first leg, shifted onto her left foot and struck a 25-yard effort into the top corner with Chelsea trailing. It was the kind of goal that separates good finishers from great ones.

James recovered well from an early-season injury sustained while helping England retain the European Championship. Once fit, she produced consistently impressive performances that culminated in her being voted Player of the Season by supporters. Now the Goal of the Season award adds another accolade to a campaign that underlined her importance to Chelsea’s attacking structure.

She joins an exclusive group of Chelsea players to win Player of the Season twice. Fran Kirby, Sam Kerr and Erin Cuthbert are the only others to achieve the feat. That is genuine company, players who have defined eras at Stamford Bridge through their consistency and quality.

A Goal That Mattered

This was not just a spectacular finish. It came in a crucial European tie when Chelsea needed inspiration. James delivered exactly that. The technique required to shift the ball onto her weaker foot and strike cleanly from that distance is elite level.

Competitive Voting

Sam Kerr’s final goal for Chelsea, a volley against Manchester United, finished as runner-up. Ellie Carpenter’s solo strike against Barcelona rounded out the top three. The supporters had genuine options, which made James’ third of the vote even more impressive.

James is becoming exactly what Chelsea need. Reliable, talented, and capable of producing moments that change games when it matters most.

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Chelsea generated almost £12 million in revenue by selling the Kingsmeadow stadium to their women’s team during the year ending June 2025, according to the club’s latest published accounts.

The transaction forms part of a wider financial strategy following the Blues’ posting Premier League record pre-tax losses of £262.4 million.

The sale follows Chelsea’s controversial decision to sell the women’s team itself to subsidiary company Blueco Midco in 2024 for nearly £200 million, which significantly contributed to a profit of £128.4 million in that year’s accounts. A payment of £22.6 million from Chelsea FC Women is listed under related party transactions within the Chelsea FC Holdings accounts.

Premier League Approve Fair Market Value

Sources close to the club confirmed that almost £12 million of the total payment relates to the Kingsmeadow sale from CFC Holdings to Chelsea Women, following an independent valuation. The value of the transaction was assessed and approved as fair market value by the Premier League under its associated party transaction rules, which govern deals struck between entities linked to a club’s ownership.

The remaining money paid by the women’s team, plus £11.3 million going the other direction from CFC Holdings to Chelsea Women, is understood to be part of an inter company agreement reached when the women’s side was sold to Blueco Midco.

Women’s Team Payment Exceeds Total Revenue

Remarkably, the £22.6 million paid by Chelsea Women exceeds the total revenue earned by the women’s team according to figures announced by the club on 1 April, which stood at £21.3 million. Chelsea originally bought Kingsmeadow from AFC Wimbledon in June 2016 for a reported £2 million.

Also read: Chelsea Announce Biggest Pre-Tax Loss in Premier League History as Blues Post £262.4 Million Deficit Despite Second Highest Ever Revenue

Chelsea have officially recorded the largest pre-tax loss in Premier League history after posting a staggering deficit of £262.4 million for the 2024/25 financial year.

The figures represent a massive swing from the previous year’s profit, which was largely fuelled by the internal sale of the club’s women’s team to subsidiary company Blueco Midco.

The financial accounts for the period ending June 30, 2025, eclipse the previous Premier League record of £197.5 million set by Manchester City in 2011. This comes just 12 months after the Blues posted a £128.4 million profit, though that surplus was heavily inflated by the sale of Chelsea Women for nearly £200 million.

Operating Costs Soar Despite Strong Revenue

Club officials have attributed the significant downturn to a sharp rise in operating costs throughout the 2024/25 campaign. Despite the alarming headline figure, Chelsea did record revenue of £490.9 million, their second highest ever, aided by income generated from their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Crucially for fans and manager alike, Chelsea insists they remain compliant with the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules. While the regulations generally limit losses to £105 million over a three-year rolling period, the club has utilised specific add-backs to stay within the limits.

Women’s Team Records £17.1 Million Loss

The financial report also provided an update on Chelsea Women, who recorded a loss of £17.1 million despite the growing popularity of the game helping the side generate a healthy £21.3 million in revenue during the same period. This is concerning, given that the women’s game continues to expand rapidly.

Since Todd Boehly’s consortium took control from Roman Abramovich in the summer of 2022, Chelsea have spent approximately £1.5 billion on new talent. Revenue is expected to soar past £700 million in the 2025/26 financial year.

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