After months of speculation, the wait is finally over. Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas is joining London City Lionesses on a three-year deal following her 14-year stint with FC Barcelona. The WSL club made the announcement on Wednesday.
Putella’s move to the Women’s Super League from Liga F is a huge shift for one of the winningest players in the world. The 32-year-old midfielder won 38 titles with Barcelona, including four UEFA Women’s Champions League and 10 Liga F titles. In her final year with the club, she capped off her campaign with a fairy tale ending by leading Barcelona in their second consecutive quadruple, and finished her season with 21 goals and 13 assists. You can watch her all season long with London City on Paramount+.
“I always want to win everything, so I know I’m moving to the most competitive league. That’s what makes me [the most] happy. That I will have to compete every week, every game, so that’s why this is one of the reasons for this movement, but yeah, my goal is always to win everything, the games, even the trainings. That’s my mentality, and that’s what I want to do here,” Putellas told CBS Sports Golazo Network.
Putellas new contract is reportedly worth over $1.85 million per year, making her the third-highest-paid player in women’s soccer. It’s a big pay boost following her time with Barcelona, where she previously made an estimated $860,000 annually.
“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 and Kynisca,” said LCL owner Michele Kang in a club statement.
Kang, founder and CEO of Kynisca Sports International, is the head of the first multi-team global organization dedicated to women’s football. The sports business mogul is redefining the business and culture of women’s sports as it works to shape a new era of economic growth and resource opportunities across the world.
“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,” said Kang.
Kang also has ownership stakes in NWSL with Washington Spirit, OL Lyonnes in France. After one year of London City Lionesses ownership, the club was promoted to the WSL 2025-2026 season. The club just wrapped up its first year in the WSL, finishing sixth with eight wins, three draws, and 11 losses.
Now the club are looking at year two following their WSL promotion with a massive signing in Putellas. Her arrival will place expectations to close that gap in England, and she won’t be alone. The club recently signed goalkeeper Mary Earps and is expected to announce another former Barcelona signing in Mapi Leon.
Rumors of Putellas’ exit from Barcelona had been swirling for months before Wednesday’s official announcement. Her long-standing ties to Barcelona were becoming increasingly more narrow as the Liga F franchise continue to navigate new methods of economic levers for future team building across their men’s and women’s sides.
There were also reports that Putellas considered several offers after her contract expired in Spain, including multiple WSL clubs and interest from the NWSL, but London City was the leader throughout the process.
“In my opinion, there’s always, unfortunately, or fortunately, a beginning and an ending, and I felt that it was the moment I won everything. I was really happy, but I felt like my moment was the last season in Barcelona,” Putellas said on the timing of her decision to switch teams and leagues.
“I want to change, I want to improve, I want to challenge myself, and that’s why I moved to London City.”
