Chloe Kelly’s agent has accused Man City of planting stories about his client in a bombshell interview on talkSPORT.
The Lioness who netted the winning goal at the European Championships in 2022 publicly voiced her discontent with Manchester City before joining Arsenal on loan.
The 27-year-old took to social media with a shocking statement on Wednesday, desperate to leave Man City amid a lack of game time.
She claimed that her mental wellbeing was affected as City controlled which club she could join in the January window.
Kelly also said that she would no longer endure someone’s ‘negative behaviour’ towards her, without specifying who.
The Gunners will be covering Kelly’s wages for the remainder of the season, yet City seemingly blocked her from joining fierce rivals, Man United.
After her transfer to Arsenal was finalised late last night, Kelly shared another statement on Instagram.
She said: “So disappointed to find out tonight that people at the club are briefing journalists against me if I am to sign at a club before the window shuts.
“They’ve called reporters to assassinate my character and tried to plant negative stories about me in the football media, which are false accusations.
“Women should look after each other and build each other up… not shoot them down to protect their employers. To those responsible, I am disappointed in this.
“As stated in my previous statement, I just want to find happiness again.”
Kelly’s agent Michael Jarman joined Sam Matterface and Alex Crook on talkSPORT to shed some light on the situation.
He revealed: “For her to be in a place of happiness (after her move to Arsenal) it needs cooperating parties to assist.
“Whilst on the surface of things we’ve had issues, as highlighted by Chloe, the fact of the matter is we’ve found an agreement and an element of solace for her after the trauma she has experienced in recent months.
“It has been going on since last season. She is now in a place of calm and peace. That’s the main thing.
“There are people within clubs that have their own optics on situations, and sometimes they don’t align with the club.
“It was a bit naughty what happened last night; she had been tipped off by three different journalists that someone was trying to plant stories about her that were linked to the football club.
“That is obviously not a reflection of the football club. Chloe has spent four and a half years at City, and 99 per cent of her time at the club has been absolutely positive.
“But there have been relationships that have become fractured over time, which is not for me to go into detail on, that have affected her, and that’s why she has felt the need to have her voice heard.
“She didn’t feel like she was being listened to in the behind-closed-doors channels; she was listened to, but not with the gravity of what was happening to her.”
Matterface questioned: “If this has been going on for so long, then why has it taken until now to bring it out into the open?”
Jarman responded: “There were attempts to resolve the issue.
“Even though it’s not really my duty to do this, I’m a football agent. From a management perspective, I had to get involved.
“There were people at Man City who were helpful in trying to mediate the process. We ultimately had two people who had seen the optics of the situation, and we had a complete breakdown to the point that Chloe was going to train every day, being professional and keeping her head down.”
Matterface asked: “Was this because she wasn’t going to sign a new contract?”
Jarman replied: “Without going into the personal issues of it. Chloe never wanted to leave City.
“The whole point was she was happy to stay at the club, but her position had become untenable, and she needed a way out.
“With the Euros coming up, not playing any football for the next four to five months, especially with Sarina Wiegman saying she needed minutes, it was a situation Chloe needed to push.”
Crook asked why her position had become untenable.
“It’s not my place to say,” Jarman stated.
“That’s a story Chloe will share at the right time. You can read between the lines. If people are going to take it out of context, that’s on them.
“The reality of it is, it’s plain to see; she wasn’t playing, and it wasn’t good enough for a lead Lioness and a player who has brought so much joy to this country.
“Her career was effectively on the line, and things were being taken out of her hands as to where she could go.”
In a bizarre coincidence, Manchester City host Arsenal this Sunday at 12pm in a Women’s Super League clash.