Chelsea sign Brooke Aspin on free transfer - Bristol City frustrated at lack of compensation
- Published
Brooke Aspin (left) scored as Bristol City beat Charlton 4-0 in April to secure promotion back to the Women's Super League
Bristol City have expressed their frustration at a lack of compensation for teenager Brooke Aspin's transfer to Chelsea on a four-year contract.
The Football Association is set to introduce rules to ensure women's clubs are compensated for developing players.
Under current rules, Chelsea are not obliged to pay City for Aspin, who came through the Robins' academy after joining the club at 14.
However, the 18-year-old defender will be loaned back for the 2023-24 season.
The former England Under-17s captain helped Bristol City win last season's Championship title and Chelsea's general manager Paul Green described her as "the best young centre-back of her age in the country".
Aspin has signed her first professional contract with Chelsea, which from next season will mean they have to pay a 'recognition fee' to her academy club.
The new rules were not in place in time for Bristol City to receive a fee for Aspin.
Their head coach Lauren Smith said: "It's disappointing that there isn't a sustainable model in place to ensure that clubs like us, that are proud to develop and support youth players, are supported and compensated in these situations."
The FA is introducing a new Professional Game Academy (PGA) structure, external in the women's game to form part of a new player pathway for English youngsters.
Bristol City are one of 20 Women's Super League and Championship clubs who will be awarded a PGA licence from the 2023-24 season.
If an academy player under 21 signs a professional contract with another PGA club, they will have to pay a recognition fee to the club who developed them.
Smith brought Aspin into Bristol City's first team at 16 and she missed the start of last season with a bone infection and sepsis, external before recovering to help the club return to the top flight.
She said that "this is an exciting move for Brooke and we're really pleased to be able to have her back on loan".
Smith added: "We know how good she is as a player but there's still more to come and we know that Bristol City is the perfect place to continue her development over the next year."
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes said: "Brooke is a player that we have been tracking for the last three years.
"She has extensive experience for her age and is a young centre-back that we have very high hopes for in the future."