Chelsea are expected to sign Katie McCabe after the Republic of Ireland captain officially left Arsenal last week.
The Blues had bids for McCabe rejected by their London rivals in 2015 and 2023.
“Katie would be a good fit for any team in the world,” said Carla Ward, the Ireland manager ahead of Friday’s World Cup qualifier against the Netherlands in Cork. “She’s a top, top player. I’ve said it a lot. She’s the best left-back in the world and no question about it.
“She was in every single WSL team of the year no matter where you looked. Katie would be a good fit for anybody and any team will be lucky to have her.”
McCabe signed for Arsenal from Shelbourne in 2015 before going on to make 305 appearances for the Gunners with the high point being the 1-0 defeat of Barcelona in the 2025 Champions League final.
Ward was also asked, following training in Fota Island before the Dutch visit to Páirc Uí Chaoimh, if her squad and staff had any concerns about a repeat of last week’s protest during the men’s friendly against Qatar at the Aviva Stadium over the upcoming fixtures against Israel in September and October.
“It’s not a good situation, is it for anybody?” Ward said. “And I think it’s a difficult situation for everybody involved. I don’t know is the answer, if we are expecting [another protest], but our focus will be solely on the Netherlands and trying to win that game.”