Sam Kerr will leave Chelsea this summer when her contract expires, the club have announced, ending her six-and-a-half-year spell with the English side.

The Australia striker is Chelsea’s leading goalscorer in the Women’s Super League with 64 goals and has scored 115 times for the Londoners in all competitions, during an era of remarkable success for both her and the club.

The 32-year-old has won five WSL titles, three FA Cups and three League Cups during her time with Chelsea are only a lengthy knee injury prevented her from adding to that tally. She has won the WSL’s Golden Boot twice and she was named as the Football Writers’ Association’s women’s footballer of the year twice in succession in 2022 and 2023, during a spell where she was widely considered as one of the best players in the world. She was also the Ballon d’Or runner-up in 2023.

“When I reflect on my Chelsea career, I just feel happy,” Kerr told the club’s media channels. “Happy that it happened, and I feel so grateful to have played for this club for six years and won as many trophies as we could.”

Kerr’s 157 appearances for Chelsea make her the fourth-highest player on their all-time appearance list. She will go into Saturday’s final league match of the season, at home to Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, just one goal behind Fran Kirby’s all-time Chelsea Women goals record in all competitions.

A club statement from Chelsea said they “thank Sam for her incredible contribution to our success on the pitch and sustained growth off it,” before adding: “We wish her all the best in the next chapter of her career.”

The news comes whilst Chelsea are understood to be the favourites to secure the signature of the Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw, this season’s WSL top scorer, whom the Guardian revealed earlier in May has decided to leave City at the end of her contract this summer. Chelsea have reportedly offered the Jamaica striker a £1m-per-year contract.