Alexia Putellas has agreed personal terms with London City Lionesses, marking a seismic shift in her career and a stunning coup for the newly promoted Women’s Super League side.

The two-time Ballon d’Or winner left Barcelona at the end of the season after 14 years with her childhood club, rejecting lucrative offers from Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United to pursue a fresh challenge in England.

Putellas rejected advances from Central America and Saudi Arabia, instead choosing a club competing in their debut WSL season. London City finished sixth last year under the ownership of billionaire Michele Kang, who also owns Washington Spirit and the Lyon side that Barcelona defeated in the Champions League final.

It is an unconventional choice for a player of Putellas’ stature, but it makes strategic sense. She avoids becoming a rival to Barcelona while joining an ambitious project with genuine resources.

The timing is interesting. Reports suggest a final decision has not been definitively made, yet multiple sources confirm she has agreed personal terms. Putellas could win a third Ballon d’Or later this year. She is still operating at an elite level, having scored twice in Spain’s devastating 4-0 victory over England on Friday. That performance effectively secured Spain’s automatic passage to Brazil 2027.

The London City Project

Mapi Leon is also moving to London City from Barcelona. Mary Earps joins from Paris Saint-Germain. Michele Kang is building something genuinely ambitious with world-class talent.

The World Cup Factor

Playing in the WSL without European football distraction could be ideal preparation for next summer’s tournament. Putellas struggled for minutes at the 2023 World Cup due to injury recovery. That should not happen again.

This move transforms London City from curiosity to genuine contender.

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UEFA confirmed Alexia Putellas as the 2025-26 Women’s Champions League Player of the Season on May 25, following Barcelona’s commanding 4-0 final victory over OL Lyonnes in Oslo.

The Spanish captain dominated the competition with 14 direct goal contributions across 11 appearances, recording seven goals and seven assists while maintaining 86.73 per cent passing accuracy. This ends Aitana Bonmati’s three consecutive Player of the Season awards from 2023 through 2025. Nobody deserves this more.

The Numbers Demand Recognition

Fourteen goal contributions in 11 Champions League appearances is an extraordinary output for a central midfielder. Putellas clocked a top speed of 25.77 kilometres per hour while maintaining elite technical precision throughout.

She was the competition’s most productive player by direct contribution and the driving force behind every significant Barcelona performance. She returned from an ACL injury in 2022 that many feared might end her dominance entirely. Four years later she has won her second Women’s Champions League Player of the Season award and her third Ballon d’Or.

The comeback narrative remains one of women’s football’s most compelling stories.

Bonmati Ended Barcelona’s Internal Rivalry

Bonmati suffered a broken fibula during Spain’s training camp in November 2025 and missed the entire knockout phase. Her absence created space for Putellas to reassert individual dominance within a squad already stacked with world-class talent.

Both players coexisting at Barcelona creates an extraordinary internal standard that elevates the entire squad collectively.

The Team of the Season and Yohannes Recognition

Barcelona dominated the Team of the Season with Cata Coll, Mapi Leon, Patri Guijarro, Ewa Pajor and Putellas all selected. Lyon’s American teenager Lily Yohannes claimed the Revelation of the Season award after three goal involvements in ten appearances during her debut season following her arrival from Ajax last summer. Julia Bartel’s stunning volley for Atletico Madrid against Twente won Goal of the Season.

Also read: 18yo Wins Liverpool Women’s Player of the Month for April After Stunning FA Cup Winner on Return From 400-Day Injury Absence

Barcelona confirmed on May 26 that Alexia Putellas is leaving the club after 14 years. The 32-year-old captain posted on Instagram saying she wanted her final moment to arrive when she was at her best and giving everything with 100 per cent energy.

That moment came Saturday in Oslo, winning a fourth Champions League title against Lyon before being crowned Player of the Season. London City Lionesses have held positive talks with Putellas for months and offered a contract significantly exceeding Barcelona’s terms.

London City’s Boldest Statement Yet

Michele Kang’s project at London City is audacious. Sixth place in their debut WSL season, no European football next term and still pursuing the two-time Ballon d’Or winner who just captained Barcelona to a continental quadruple.

The three-year deal on the table reportedly reflects Putellas’ status as one of the greatest players alive. London City have already approached Mapi Leon and Mary Earps while retaining Kosovare Asllani and Grace Geyoro.

Signing Putellas would represent the biggest transfer in WSL history without question. The question is whether she accepts the absence of Champions League football as an acceptable trade-off.

NWSL Competition Changes Everything

The NWSL’s new High Impact Player rule allows clubs to exceed the salary cap by up to $1 million, meaning Putellas could earn approximately $1 million per season in the United States. That creates genuine competition for London City. NWSL clubs are monitoring her situation closely. Putellas wants the World Cup in 2027 and maximum visibility matters enormously for a player tipped to win a third Ballon d’Or later this year.

The Barcelona Legacy She Leaves Behind

424 appearances. 189 goals. 10 Liga F titles. 4 Champions Leagues. 2 Ballon d’Or awards. Putellas is irreplaceable at Barcelona. She knows it. They know it. This farewell was inevitable but no less remarkable for the manner of her exit at the very top of her game.