BREAKING: London City Lionesses confirm Alexia Putellas arrival | OneFootball

London City Lionesses have confirmed the signing of two-time Ballon d’Or Féminin winner Alexia Putellas following her departure from Barcelona in May.

The 32-year-old Spanish midfielder announced her departure from Blaugrana earlier this summer, attracting interest from a number of clubs in England and the United States.

London City describe the move as “the next chapter of a remarkable career, with the ambition to compete for the biggest titles at the highest level while helping to shape the future of the women’s game and the next generation”.

The club’s owner, Michele 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 and Kynisca.

“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.”

Speaking at her unveiling in New York City, Putellas explained: “The last several weeks I had to make a decision and finally you know, it’s not a private thing now so I’m very happy about the day here in New York and the season of course.

“I met with my agent and he asked me what I want, and my answer was that I want to keep winning so for me it was an easy decision because I want to compete every week.

“That’s why I moved to England because I’m really excited to play in this league, and not just for playing, I want to win of course. There’s a process for that of course, I know where the club is and it’s about a transition but my mentality is to win everything.

“My passion is to compete and if I don’t do it, probably I would give up football. It’s my way of living this sport, to compete and to prove myself. My main goal is to be better day after day and push myself, look for my limits.

“I don’t know where they are but I’m going to try and look for that limit and give my best to my teammates, to the club and to my new supporters.”

Having risen through Barça’s youth academy before spending short stints at Espanyol and Levante, Putellas returned to the Catalan capital as an 18-year-old and made 508 appearances for the club, scoring 232 goals and registering 231 assists. She sits behind only Lionel Messi (672) as the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.

She added: “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.”

Why did Alexia Putellas choose London City Lionesses?

Alexia Putellas is a two-time Ballon d’Or Féminin winner, who has lifted four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles – and a plethora of domestic titles – with Barcelona.

Now though, she’ll be competing abroad for the first time in her career, and she’s opted to sign for London City Lionesses, an independent club with no associated men’s team after splitting from Millwall in 2019.

They were only promoted to the English top flight a year ago, and secured a sixth-placed finish in their debut Barclays Women’s Super League campaign – 28 points adrift of champions Manchester City.

Among the clubs interested in securing Putellas’ signature was the NWSL’s Boston Legacy, who appointed Barcelona’s former Head of Management for Women’s Football, Domènec Guasch, as their General Manager ahead of their debut season.

But the midfielder has opted to sign for London City Lionesses, who recently unveiled plans for a new state-of-the-art training facility and are bankrolled by billionaire Michele Kang, whose multi-club portfolio also includes NWSL side Washington Spirit and 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League finalists OL Lyonnes.

It’s also worth noting that while Putellas – as one of the world’s best female footballers – will demand high wages, London City Lionesses will not pay a transfer fee for the Spaniard as her contract with Barcelona expired at the end of the 2025/26 season.

London City Lionesses have already confirmed the summer arrival of goalkeeper Mary Earps and are keen to bring Barça defender Mapi Leon to the English capital ahead of the 2026/27 season as Kang continues to build a squad brimming with world-class talent.

Putellas, according to SPORT’s Maria Tikas, is keen to avoid competing directly against Barcelona immediately and wanted to avoid signing for an ‘iconic’ club with a distinct identity that could have rivalled that of the Blaugrana. Remaining in Europe as opposed to the United States also keeps the midfielder closer to family and friends in Catalunya.

What does Alexia Putellas’ move to London City mean for the WSL?

Alexia Putellas’ move to London City Lionesses is another significant milestone for the growth of women’s football in England, but also serves to emphasise the growing influence of ambitious multi-club ownership models in women’s football.

One of the most decorated players in the history of the women’s game choosing to live the next chapter of her illustrious career in the Barclays Women’s Super League should be celebrated, and will almost certainly boost ticket sales across the league in 2026/27 after a season that saw Arsenal’s home fixtures at the Emirates Stadium account for a staggering 41.2% of the WSL’s total attendance figures.

It’s also indicative of just how quickly the women’s football landscape in England is changing. Just a year ago, London City Lionesses had never played a top-flight game. Now, they boast a two-time Ballon d’Or Féminin winner who also happens to be a serial winner, both domestically and in Europe.

But while the plan is evidently to turn the Bromley-based side into a powerhouse consistently challenging on the European stage, they may hit a bump in the road given that UEFA’s Head of Women’s Football, Nadine Kessler, confirmed in May that multi-club ownership will be banned in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

She said that the decision comes as the sport’s European governing body strives to preserve “sporting integrity”, and added that “the evolution of multi-club owners and women’s football […] obviously invests a lot into the game, which is also important but at the same time, when it comes to playing in one football competition, there will be no different approach or no exceptions.”

Article 5 of the UEFA Women’s Champions League regulations confirm that no individual or entity can be “involved in any capacity” or have “any power whatsoever” over the “management, administration and/or sporting performance” of more than one club in the competition at any given time.

Putellas’ arrival in Bromley will undoubtedly spark controversy, as multi-club ownership structures have provoked strong discourse in the men’s game. The women’s game needs investment, sure, but whether billionaire owners are the right way to go about it is a topic up for debate.

The City Football Group is perhaps the most prominent example of a multi-club group, although Crystal Palace were demoted to the UEFA Conference League last season after co-owner John Textor was found to also hold shares in Olympique Lyonnais.

Kang’s Kynisca Group isn’t the only multi-club ownership structure in the women’s game, though.

Mercury13 own Como Women in Serie A as well as Liga F’s Badalona Women and Bristol City in the WSL 2, while Crux Sports’ portfolio includes Sweden’s FC Rosengard and France’s Montpellier. Bay FC’s owners, the Bay Collective, also completed a takeover of Sunderland’s women’s team in June.

Why did Alexia Putellas leave Barcelona?

Alexia Putellas’ departure from Barcelona was confirmed via social media, with the 32-year-old releasing an emotional monologue in which she explained her reasons for leaving the Catalan club after 14 years.

The midfielder commented that “this shirt can’t be defended in half measures, and I recognise that I’ve drained myself.”

As SPORT’s Maria Tikas confirmed, it was Putellas’ own decision to call time on her Barça career. Her contract included a clause that would have allowed either party to extend the deal by a year – although after Putellas turned down a mammoth contract with Paris Saint-Germain last summer, it was agreed that Barcelona would not stand in the way if she felt the end of the 2025/26 season was the right time.

Tikas added that Putellas was keen to ensure she “does not become an obstacle” that inhibits the development of youngsters emerging from Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy.

In her farewell video, the two-time Ballon d’Or Féminin winner said: “The future of the team belongs to you, and it will be your turn to make history at the best club in the world.”

18-year-old Clara Serrajordi already looks to be comfortable at the heart of the Barça midfield, and was afforded a start in the 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League final by head coach Pere Romeu – so it’s safe to say that the shirt is in safe hands.

There is also a feeling that Putellas achieved everything there was to achieve in Barcelona.

She has lifted every trophy available to her at club level, scored the first-ever Barça Femení goal at a sold-out Spotify Camp Nou, and remained influential until the very end, teeing up Aitana Bonmatí in her final Liga F match.

With the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup now on the horizon, and Spain’s participation already confirmed after topping a tricky qualification group that also included European champions England, Putellas is understood to have wanted a challenge that would push her outside of her comfort zone.