Pernille Harder and Magdalena Eriksson have left Chelsea following the expiry of their contracts; Eriksson made 185 appearances for the Blues and lifted 11 trophies; Harder won seven domestic honours and returns to the Bundesliga having played for Wolfsburg before Chelsea
Thursday 1 June 2023 12:37, UK
Bayern Munich have signed Chelsea pair Pernille Harder and Magdalena Eriksson on three-year deals.
The duo announced they would be leaving the Women's Super League champions earlier in May following the expiry of their contracts.
Defender and captain Eriksson joined the Blues from Linkoping in her native Sweden in 2017, and has remained a first-team fixture throughout her time at Kingsmeadow, racking up 185 appearances, scoring 11 goals and lifting 11 major trophies.
Harder joined Emma Hayes' side three years later and was a landmark signing from Wolfsburg in September 2020. Chelsea paid a world-record fee for the Denmark international, which was beaten by Keira Walsh's move from Manchester City to Barcelona last summer.
Bayern head coach Alexander Straus said: "Pernille and Magdalena are two top players with a lot of experience. They have won a number of titles, have taken part in many major tournaments, both at club level and on the international stage with national teams.
"They are an ideal addition to our team and bring even more quality to our talented team. They will take us to the next level. We are very happy about it."
Harder has spent much of this season sidelined due to injury, but Eriksson has been vital in another successful campaign for Chelsea.
Both players featured in their Women's FA Cup final win against Manchester United and helped the club land their fourth WSL title in a row.
Eriksson won five WSL trophies with Chelsea as well as four FA Cups and two League Cups. She also reached a Champions League final with the club in 2021.
Harder was also part of that team and departs the club with seven domestic winner's medals. She returns to the Bundesliga having played for Wolfsburg between 2017 and 2020 where she scored 105 goals in 114 competitive games and was voted European Footballer of the Year on two occassions.
Upon joining Bayern, Eriksson said: "I had a good feeling from the start. FC Bayern is an extraordinary club with an impressive history. I'm really looking forward to getting to know my new colleagues, winning together, developing as an individual and also getting to know the culture of the club.
"The potential is just huge and everything I've heard about the club and Munich has been nothing but positive. One reason I wanted to come here is because I've never heard so many good things about ex-club players. All my Swedish team-mates from the national team enjoyed their time here."
Harder added: "FC Bayern is a great club, the players and the team have a lot of potential. I really wanted to be a part of it. I also got a good impression of Alexander Straus.
"I had a good time in the Bundesliga and am happy to be returning after three years. How the German national team played at the European Championships last summer shows how the league has developed. I'm happy to be back in the Bundesliga and can't wait to play here again."
