Women's Football Shakes Up.
Two-Time Ballon d'Or Winner Alexia Putellas Makes Bold Move to London City Lionesses.
Key Points
Alexia Putellas’ Barcelona career statistics are unusually prolific: 507 official appearances, 232 goals, and 38 trophies, including four UEFA Women's Champions League titles, highlighting the magnitude of her move to London City Lionesses.
Jana Fernandez is among the new signings joining Putellas at London City Lionesses, joined by Mary Earps, Grace Geyoro, Delphine Cascarino and Kosovare Asllani, signaling a deepening of the squad around the World Cup winner.
London City Lionesses will not participate in European competition next season because the three English spots for the UEFA Women’s Champions League have already been claimed by Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Michele Kang has invested in a modern, women-focused training infrastructure and regards Putellas’ signing as a bold statement about the club’s future, growth, and development pathways for female athletes.
Putellas reportedly chose London City Lionesses over lucrative US offers, emphasising its competitive European environment and the project’s potential close to home.
Alexia Putellas, the most decorated player in women's football history, has signed a three-year deal with London City Lionesses, ending a 14-year spell at Barcelona. The 32-year-old two-time Ballon d'Or winner joins on a free transfer after her Barcelona contract expired, according to CBS Sports.
The signing is the biggest in WSL history. Putellas scored 232 goals and won 38 trophies at Barcelona — including four UEFA Women's Champions League titles — across 507 official appearances. She reportedly turned down lucrative offers from US clubs to move to London, Yahoo Sports reported.
A Squad Built to Challenge Europe's Elite
Putellas joins a roster that Michele Kang has rebuilt aggressively this summer. New signings include goalkeeper Mary Earps, midfielder Grace Geyoro, forward Delphine Cascarino, striker Kosovare Asllani, and defender Jana Fernandez. The club finished sixth in their first WSL season, according to Morning Chronicle.
Kang, the American billionaire who owns the club, called Putellas' arrival a bold statement. She said the signing shows the club's serious sporting and commercial ambitions. London City Lionesses is a women-only independent club — a model Kang argues gives it a unique edge in building around female athletes.
Why Putellas Chose London Over the US
Putellas had options. US clubs reportedly made bigger financial offers. But she chose London City Lionesses for its project and its location close to home in Europe. She pointed to the club's women-focused approach and its goal of growing pathways for future female talent, BBN Times reported.
"The project's unique, independent, women-focused approach" was a key factor, Putellas said. She wants to help build something lasting — not just win trophies. That message aligns directly with what Kang has said about the club's long-term vision.
No Europe Next Season — But WSL Title in Sight
There is one major catch. London City Lionesses will not play in the UEFA Women's Champions League next season. England's three spots are already taken by Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal. The club must first climb the WSL table before competing in Europe, according to Yahoo Sports.
That makes the WSL title the immediate target. With Putellas pulling the strings in midfield alongside Earps in goal and Asllani leading the attack, London City Lionesses now has the firepower to challenge. The club's first full WSL season with this squad could shake up English women's football entirely.
Kang's Investment Signals a New Era in Women's Football
Kang has built a modern, women-focused training infrastructure to support the squad. She sees Putellas not just as a player but as a symbol. Her arrival is meant to show that London City Lionesses can compete with — and eventually beat — the powerhouses of European women's football, BBN Times reported.
The move is widely seen as a turning point for the WSL. Signing the world's best player — even at 32 — sends a message to every club in Europe. Yahoo Sports called it "a significant moment" for both the club and the league. Women's football in England may never look the same again.
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