Charlotte Wardlaw Returns to Parent Club Chelsea Women

Liverpool announced that Charlotte Wardlaw would be returning to her parent club Chelsea Women, effective immediately. Wardlaw is a young defender who joined the Reds on loan last season when they were battling for promotion. She made 23 appearances in the backline and was a good addition to the team.

Upon returning to the WSL, the two clubs once again made a season long deal to Wardlaw to remain on Merseyside. However, Wardlaw has only made four appearances this season, and the decision was made to have her return to Chelsea for the second half of the season.

This follows the Reds re-signing defender Gemma Bonner, which gives Matt Beard more options in defense.

We don’t know whether this early movement in the January transfer window points towards more imminent business or if they have finished all of it early.

The Reds did not have a good start to their first season back in the WSL, but they have been steadily improving as the season wears on. The goal for this first season back was always survival. That goal became much harder with ace Leanne Kiernan getting injured in the opening match.

Kiernan is set to return sometime near February, so it’s possible that Beard believes her presence will be enough of a boost to keep the team on the uphill trajectory of the last few matches. However, it also wouldn’t be surprising if there’s some more firepower brought in up front before the window closes.