Chelsea have announced the re-signing of superstar attacker Sam Kerr to a two-year extension.
The deal was announced on Thursday morning UK time, although it wasn't your typical announcement.
Kerr featured in a brief social media video where she reflected on her time at Chelsea, with many believing she was departing the London club.
However, her new deal was revealed 20 minutes later.
MORE: When will Sam Kerr return from injury?
Sam Kerr contract details
Kerr's previous contract was set to expire at the end of June this year.
Chelsea were keen to keep one of their star players after hugely successful coach Emma Hayes departed at the end of the 2023-24 season to take up a job with the US women's national side.
Kerr has been an integral part of the continued domestic success experienced by Chelsea, having won five WSL titles in a row, and three Women's FA Cups in a row, scoring the winner in two of the finals.
The new deal means Kerr will now be staying in London until at least 2026 – the longest period of time she has spent at any club.
Sam Kerr prank video: How Chelsea star tricked social media
In true Kerr style, her contract extension had a cheeky touch.
Reports of a 'major announcement' relating to the Chelsea forward emerged on Wednesday, with the general consensus being she would sign an extension.
However, a video was posted by the club on Thursday with the caption "A message from Sam Kerr".
The minute-long video was shot in the style of a player departure announcement and reflected on some of Kerr's memories at the club.
A message from @SamKerr1… 💙 pic.twitter.com/14c1BEzzOZ
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) June 13, 2024
And it worked.
The majority of social media was fooled and began to speculate on Kerr's potential next destination.
However, there were some who noticed the vague language used in the video, and theorised it was a prank video.
Chelsea then put fans out of their misery, posting another video 20 minutes later confirming Kerr had signed an extension with the club.
She’s not going anywhere! 😏
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) June 13, 2024
Sam Kerr has signed a new contract with the club until 2026! ✍️ pic.twitter.com/gqTZnefL2A
Well played, Sam.
Sam Kerr career at Chelsea
Sam Kerr has been one of Chelsea's greatest players since joining the club in 2020, scoring 99 goals in 128 games in all competitions.
She was the top scorer for two WSL seasons in a row, scoring 21 goals in 2020-21, and 20 goals in the 2021-22 season; she scored 12 goals the season after, and had four goals in eight league games in the most recent season before injury curtailed her 2023-24 campaign.
Despite Chelsea failing to capture a Champions League title, she has still been prolific on the continent, scoring 17 goals in 28 Champions League games.
Overall, she has won 11 trophies for Chelsea in four years at the club.
What is Sam Kerr's injury?
Sam Kerr experienced an injury-plagued 2023, significantly disrupting her home World Cup campaign with the Matildas.
On the eve of the opening game, she suffered a calf injury that ruled her out of the group stages and limited her to just two starts at the tournament, where she still managed to score one of the goals of the tournament in a semifinal defeat to England.
She then suffered a foot injury that kept her out of the Matildas' final clashes of the year against Canada, as well as disrupting the beginning of her club season for Chelsea.
She was then dealt a crushing blow at the beginning of this year, when she suffered a serious anterior cruciate injury at a warm-weather training camp for Chelsea, ruling her out for the rest of the club season, as well as the upcoming Paris Olympics.
Sam Kerr arrest and legal case
The Matildas captain has also faced issues off the field this year, as it emerged in March the 30-year-old had been arrested in London the previous year for alleged racially aggravated harassment against a police officer.
The incident occurred after a dispute over a taxi fare, where Kerr allegedly called a responding police officer a "stupid white bastard".
She has disputed this claim, with her lawyers stating she used the term "stupid white cop", with Kerr pleading not guilty to the charge; the case is due for trial in February 2025.
The Matildas star was criticised for not informing Football Australia of the charge despite her status as captain, with the federation and national team coach Tony Gustavsson unaware of the charge until the story broke in the media.