Sam Kerr: What next for Chelsea after Australia striker leaves?

Kerr’s future is unknown, but sources close to the player have suggested a return to the NWSL in the United States.

Australian broadcaster 10 News reported last month that Kerr had agreed to travel to the Denver summit – although the striker denied this on social media at the time.

Replacing him at Chelsea will be difficult, but Bombaster has already confirmed that buying a number nine is on the club’s priority list for the summer.

“It’s very difficult to sum up Sam’s time at Chelsea in a few words. He left a legacy here at this club, which is the most impactful thing you can do,” Bompaster said.

“For the younger generation, he gave them the opportunity to be a role model. I will always remember Sam as a great professional and he inspired so many people on and off the field.

“The best memory everyone will have of him is his backflip when he scored that goal (against Manchester United) in the FA Cup final.

“It was a really good moment for everyone and we would love to see that in the future in this league.”

It has been a period of transition for the club with several senior players leaving this year, including captain Millie Bright, midfielder Guro Reiten and striker Catarina Macario.

With their injury concerns this year and a lack of squad depth in attacking positions, Chelsea will be looking to bring in ready-made talent to boost their chances after a poor campaign by their high standards.

Manchester City’s top scorer Khadijah Shaw tops Chelsea’s shortlist, but whoever they sign to replace Kerr will have plenty of boots to fill.

Despite not being fully fit for much of the season, Kerr would still finish as his club’s top scorer in all competitions and the only scorer in double figures.

Since the start of last season in the WSL, Beaver-Jones has scored 13 goals and closest teammate James has eight. Kerr scored six runs and was missing for more than a year during that time.

All of this shows that Chelsea need to work on rebuilding their frontline and competing with the best clubs in Europe.