The Queen has crossed the channel. Alexia Putellas, the two-time Ballon d’Or winner who spent 14 years dominating European football at Barcelona, was unveiled in New York on Wednesday as a London City Lionesses player — a signing that rewrites the map of the Women’s Super League.
Putellas, 32, arrives on a free transfer after deciding to leave the club where she won 38 major trophies, including four Champions League titles and 10 league titles. The 2023 World Cup winner with Spain said she felt it was time for a change, sources told BBC Sport, and she always liked the idea of a move to the WSL. She gave up the chance of Champions League football this season — a huge decision for someone who captained Barcelona.
“Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas joins London City Lionesses on a free transfer after 14 years at Barcelona.”
London City Lionesses are owned by the American businesswoman Michele Kang, who bought the club in December 2023. The team finished sixth in their debut WSL season. Putellas had offers from England, Mexico and the United States, with Boston Legacy providing the stiffest competition. But she was drawn to Kang’s ambition for the women’s game. The pair first met in Miami four years ago for dinner, Putellas revealed, and discussed their vision.
“I am thrilled to embark on this new chapter with London City Lionesses,” Putellas said. “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.”
Kang, who also owns Washington Spirit and OL Lyon, has persuaded Putellas to join a club from Bromley that was playing in the second tier as recently as 2025. The signing is the biggest in WSL history: Putellas has 44 times more followers on Instagram than London City Lionesses. Sources close to Kang suggest a business partnership beyond playing is likely to flourish.
London City have already added the former England goalkeeper Mary Earps, the Denmark defender Janni Thomsen, and the Germany forward Nicole Anyomi this window. They are understood to be set to sign the Spain defender Mapi León and have been linked with her Barcelona teammate Salma Paralluelo.
Putellas’s move eclipses previous WSL landmark arrivals — Sam Kerr, Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd. She is ‘La Reina’ — the Queen — and now she will play in Bromley, not Barcelona. The question is whether Kang’s empire can match the Spaniard’s legacy with silverware.