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London City Lionesses have announced the signing of Alexia Putellas at an event in New York, confirming the arrival in the Women’s Super League of one of the women’s game’s all-time greats.
The two-time Ballon d’Or winner was available on a free transfer after leaving Barcelona at the end of the season, ending a 14-year stay during which she helped them to win four Champions League titles.
The Guardian revealed in early June that the 2023 World Cup-winning Spain midfielder had agreed personal terms with London City, who are owned by the American businesswoman Michele Kang and finished sixth in the WSL in their debut top-flight season.
Putellas said: “I am thrilled to embark on this new chapter with London City Lionesses. The club’s ambition and its steadfast commitment to growing as a women-only independent club resonate deeply with me. I look forward to making an impact on the pitch as we challenge for titles. Off the pitch, building on my passion for youth development, I am equally excited to work with Michele in elevating women’s football in England and on the global stage.”
London City have already signed big names in this transfer window, including the former England goalkeeper Mary Earps from Paris Saint-Germain, the Denmark defender Janni Thomsen from Utah Royals and the Germany forward Nicole Anyomi from Eintracht Frankfurt. They are understood to be set to sign the Spain defender Mapi León and have been linked with her Barcelona teammate Salma Paralluelo.
The 32-year-old Putellas is one of the best players to join the WSL, together with Sam Kerr, Alex Morgan and Carli Lloyd. The Australia striker Kerr spent six years with Chelsea until returning to Gotham FC last month. Morgan, who scored 123 goals for the USA, spent a brief time in England as a Tottenham player in 2020, while Lloyd was a short-term presence, playing on loan for Manchester City during 2017’s one-off Spring Series.
The division has also been graced by other legends such as the former England forward Kelly Smith, while current big names include the Manchester City duo Khadija Shaw and Vivianne Miedema. Putellas’s move, though, will capture attention like no other signing before her.
She was unveiled on Wednesday by Kang, who also owns Washington Spirit, OL Lyonnes and a stake in Lyon’s men’s team. Kang has made no secret of her ambition to win trophies with London City, who play their home fixtures in Bromley.
Putellas, who is also a two-time Fifa Best women’s player award winner, is understood to have been partly motivated to join the club by knowing she would not be playing for a direct rival of Barcelona, which ruled out her joining their Champions League rivals such as Arsenal and Chelsea. London City are said to have offered a far more lucrative contract than Barcelona.
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Kang said: “Alexia Putellas embodies the pinnacle of talent, dedication, and vision in women’s football. Her decision to join our independent, women-first club is a powerful endorsement of what we are building at London City. This is more than a signing, it is a bold statement about the future of the sport. Together, we will compete at the highest levels while creating new commercial opportunities and development pathways for the next generation of female athletes.”
A Euro finalist with Spain in 2025, Putellas scored 234 times in 513 games for Barcelona and also helped them win 10 league titles and 10 Spanish Cups.
