Bristol City Women are feeling the full cost of relegation from the WSL with the club confirming that top scorer and star player Ebony Salmon will be leaving BS3 this summer.
Salmon finished as the Vixens top scorer this season with 10 goals as the club were relegated to the Championship following their 3-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
The 20-year-old striker earned a call-up to the England squad in February when she won her first cap in a 6-0 friendly defeat over Northern Ireland.
Salmon's contract expires this summer and City's place in the second tier and her own desires to continue her international career mean her departure has been inevitable.
The Athletic are reporting that Salmon will now join Racing Louisville FC in the National Women's Super League in the United States.
Salmon, who signed for City from Manchester United in 2019 and has scored 18 goals for the club across all competitions, posted a message on Twitter in the wake of the announcement.
“After two years at Bristol City I have decided it’s time for a new challenge,” wrote Salmon. “I would like to say a massive thank you to the staff at this club for the opportunity they gave me and belief they had in me when not many others did.
“It’s been two years full of some unbelievable highs as well as the lowest of lows. But throughout I have grown as both a player and a person.
“Finally, a huge thank you to our fans who have supported us through everything. We gave it our all and fell just short at the final hurdle, but this team will be back.
“Bristol will always be a very special club to me. I am now extremely excited and more than ready for the next chapter in my career.”
On Tuesday, assistant coach Marco Chiavetta stepped down while second-choice goalkeeper Benedicte Haland has signed for Icelandic side Sellfoss FC and further departures are likely.
Interim manager Matt Beard, who took over in January as Tanya Oxtoby was in maternity leave, has also been linked with the vacancy at Championship side Liverpool.
