Barcelona have signed Brazilian international Kerolin from Manchester City on a contract through to 2030, with the deal worth around £1.3m — the largest fee ever paid for a female Brazilian player (BBC Sport).

The 26-year-old forward arrives at a club in the middle of a significant rebuild. Barcelona saw Alexia Putellas and Mapi Leon both leave for London City Lionesses in the summer of 2025, while Salma Paralluelo departed for Champions League rivals Lyon. Kerolin is viewed as a direct replacement for Paralluelo, the Spanish winger whose pace and directness had been central to Barcelona's attacking play.

The signing had been weeks in the making. Barcelona's board voted to approve the deal at a meeting on Wednesday, 29 July, following extended negotiations (ESPN). Reports had been building throughout July: The Athletic noted on the 22nd that City were close to finalising a sale in excess of €1m (The Athletic), and Sky Sports reported two days later that the fee was set at £1.28m, which would make Kerolin the Women's Super League's most expensive export (Sky Sports).

Kerolin's record in England was brief but devastating. She joined City from American side North Carolina Courage in January 2025 and proceeded to help them win their first Women's Super League title in a decade, completing a domestic double with the Women's FA Cup. In just 15 WSL appearances, she scored nine goals and provided five assists — including a hat-trick against Chelsea in February 2025 that underlined her big-game temperament.

Her international pedigree is well established. Kerolin has scored 15 goals in 62 appearances for Brazil, bringing experience from the very top of the women's game to a Barcelona side chasing European dominance.

For Manchester City, the sale softens the blow of losing a player who was under contract until 2028, and the club had already moved to reinforce their attack by bringing in England international Beth Mead in the summer of 2025. The fee received also represents a significant return on a player who arrived only eighteen months earlier.

For Barcelona, the appeal is obvious: a proven finisher in the prime years of her career, comfortable on the ball and capable of the kind of individual moments that settle tight matches. A five-and-a-half-year contract signals real investment — and an expectation that Kerolin will be central to whatever Barcelona build next.