Transfer window Q&A: BBC Sport women's football reporter Emma Sanders on Alexia Putellas, Katie McCabe & more

With transfer deadline day having passed, teams in the Women's Super League are embarking on their road to the end of the season.

BBC Sport women's football news reporter Emma Sanders joined fans on Reddit to take questions on a range of topics, including how the window works, why Chelsea surprised her and the future of Spain superstar Alexia Putellas.

Here is a selection of the questions and Emma's answers.

Q. As a newcomer to women's football, I still don't know how/why only some transfer fees are released and also if they are real? Is the BBC provided with figures by agents, clubs, or other means?

Emma: It's the biggest headache we have! Clubs do not release fees so we have to work very hard to get that information from our own sources. Some clubs can be helpful and confirm it off the record but we've had lots of scenarios where one club says one fee, and the other club completely contradicts it. If it were up to me, Fifa would release them all. I don't see the harm and it would offer transparency for fans to know where the club spends money. It's the fans' investment too, after all.

Q. Have you ever been completely blindsided by a transfer? Like no-one had a clue the player might be moving until it was announced by the club?

Emma: Definitely! There's not many of us who work full-time in women's football media – especially for national broadcasters and newspapers – so naturally, there's a lot to cover on our own. That makes it hard to keep track of every movement. To be fair, it happens less now that there are more covering the women's game - but I've definitely been blindsided in the past. Most of the time we get rumblings when a player might be moving, even if we do not have confirmation from enough sources or the name of the club they're moving to.

Q. Have you heard the rumours of Alexia Putellas to London City Lionesses in the summer?

Emma: I would say it's going to be a very interesting few months regarding Putellas. She can choose pretty much any club in the world and obviously can choose to stay at Barcelona too. The latest I've been told is that she's still deciding her next steps but there has definitely been a suggestion that WSL clubs are interested. London City Lionesses have the money and the ambition so I wouldn't rule them out.

Q. Do you think it is curious that Chelsea were quiet?

Emma: Very. They are out of the WSL title race, have injuries in the squad and clearly needed to add before the Champions League quarter-finals. I was disappointed.

Q. Any updates on Katie McCabe and Arsenal? Where would you like her to go?

Emma: With McCabe's contract running out and no talks on a contract renewal, it has always been expected that she would leave in the summer. She has not decided her future but she's understandably got options. I think she's definitely still good enough to be playing Champions League football so I would like to see her stay in Europe, and preferably in the WSL. Manchester City would be a great fit but a controversial one I'm sure for fans.

Q. Was there interest in [Arsenal midfielder] Victoria Pelova or a transfer request? I felt like if Georgia Stanway was about to get in, she would've been free to leave.

Emma: Pelova is one of many we believe is out of contract this summer at Arsenal, so naturally her future is uncertain. I'm not aware of any transfer request but I would be surprised if she doesn't move. It's going to be a transition period for the club with the likes of Stanway and Ona Batlle on their list to bring in.

There's also been attention on Emily Fox, who Arsenal want to sign a longer-term contract. It was widely reported her deal was due to expire this summer; however, I've been told she may have an additional year on her existing contract. We believe she may be tied down to 2027, not 2026, as originally thought. That means the club would have longer to negotiate.

Q. Just wondering if there's been any updates regarding Bunny Shaw's contract?

Emma: It is something I am monitoring. The latest we were told was that the discussions were positive but it is a concern it's not been agreed. I would be surprised if she leaves.

Q. Can you comment on Brighton's January window? Seemed like a very muted month. Are they happy with their squad? Also do you have any information about Fran Kirby and whether she was approached during the window?

Emma: Personally, I think Brighton are short in forward positions and I would have liked to have seen them do more. They are very particular with their recruitment as it's led a lot by data. I think they may have missed out on one target, but I would expect a busy summer. A lot of clubs this season are bracing for that with it being a non-major tournament year in Europe. In terms of Kirby, Italian media reported that Juventus made bids. I don't know on that, but I do know Brighton would not have sold at any price in January.

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