Thursday saw the closing of this January’s football transfer window. Get your deals done by  2300 hours G.M.T. and you’re good to go. Any later and you’ll have to wait until the summer.

I remember football before “transfer windows”; a time when clubs could buy, sell and loan players at any stage of the season. The window was brought in by UEFA at the start of the 2002/2003 season to “harmonise” transfer dealings across Europe. All well and good, in theory. It’s my belief that the windows have led to increased fees and panicked last-minute deals as clubs scramble to acquire – or offload– players. To me, the previous system was more exciting than the hype of the modern day deadline day hysteria. Back ‘int ol’ days you never knew when a player might join or leave your club. It were reet good.

With 24 hours remaining of the this most recent window, Chloe Kelly issued a statement on her social media accounts indicating her frustration with Manchester City not playing her, her desire to be in contention for the Lionesses and City thwarting her attempts to move in order to get much needed match fitness as the Euro’s loom. Basically, the message was a “come and get me” to any interested clubs. Manchester United in particular.

On Thursday I spent far too much time refreshing news apps and checking for the latest info. Constantly looking for confirmation that Kelly was going to be a Red. My phone needed recharging. Twice!

Mid-morning and it was reported that Brighton had made an offer to take Kelly on loan. She declined saying she wanted to be stay closer to home and family. Man United in the box seat! With a few hours remaining to get deals completed Arsenal decided to enter the fray. Boo!

Continual scrolling on my phone wasn’t helping my disposition. My eyes were going a little bit googly. At 2143 I decided to take a break and, instead, read some of the novel I was enjoying. So I stepped away from online transfer news, rumours and speculation. “ChloeWatch” was going have to get along without my attention for a little while.

(You may like to know that the book, “The Long and Faraway Gone” by Lou Berney, is an absolute belter. Set partly in 1986, and twenty-five years later, this Oklahoma based crime thriller is simply terrific. Lou Berney has a wonderful way of writing; his prose is sharp and cutting, his descriptions vivid and evocative. And, boy, can he spin a tale! I heartily recommend his work.)

I finished the book and, at 2330, returned to Deadline Day shenanigans.

Now, thirty-minutes after the deadline had passed, the news was finally in. There it was…confirmed by many outlets and sources. Kelly was leaving City, she had made her escape from the blue side of Manchester. She had signed on the dotted line!

BOOM! Chloe Kelly was now a red! 

Unfortunately, she was red of a different flavour. Arsenal had secured her signature and services on loan until the end of this season. My BOOM turned swiftly to BOO!

But…I do love how she plays. Despite her choosing the wrong club – rumour has it that City refused to deal with United and blocked Chloe moving to us – I want Kelly to do well at Arsenal. (But not on 11th May – the final WSL match of the season). I want her to get her place back in the Lionesses team. I want to wear my England “KELLY 18” shirt when I journey to Switzerland. I want to see her “hopity-skipity” penalty prowess power us to victory in the Euros.

And, after her loan ends, I want to see her in a proper Red shirt next season.