Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas is leaving Barcelona after 14 years. And she’s not going to Lyon or Chelsea or any of the usual European superpowers. She’s joining London City Lionesses, a team that plays in England’s second division.
The 32-year-old Spanish midfielder signed with the London club on Wednesday, a move that caught pretty much everyone off guard. Putellas had spent her entire senior career at Barcelona, winning everything there is to win — Champions League titles, league trophies, and individual awards that put her in the conversation for best women’s player ever.
“I am thrilled to embark on this new chapter with London City Lionesses,” Putellas said in a statement. “The club’s ambition and its steadfast commitment to growing as a women-only independent club resonate deeply with me.”
Why London City? Really?
London City Lionesses are not Arsenal or Chelsea. They’re not even in the Women’s Super League. They play in the Championship, the second tier of English women’s football. But they have an owner with deep pockets and a specific vision.
Michele Kang, the American businesswoman who took over the club in 2023, has made it clear she wants to build something different. London City operates as an independent women’s club — not attached to a men’s team — which is still rare in Europe. Kang has put serious money into facilities, coaching staff, and now, the biggest-name signing in the club’s history.
“Alexia Putellas embodies the pinnacle of talent, dedication, and vision in women’s football,” Kang said. “Her decision to join our independent, women-first club is a powerful endorsement of what we are building at London City.”
Putellas also mentioned she’s excited to work with Kang on growing the sport in England and globally. And she specifically called out youth development as a priority for her.
What This Means for the Championship
Let’s be honest. A player of Putellas’ caliber in the second division is absurd. She’s a two-time Ballon d’Or winner. She’s won the Champions League. She’s the all-time top scorer for Spain’s women’s national team. The gap between her and the players she’ll line up against on a Tuesday night in January is massive.
But that’s kind of the point. London City is trying to fast-track its way to the WSL, and signing Putellas sends a message to every other player and club: this isn’t a side project. They’re serious.
Whether Putellas can still play at an elite level after battling through ACL injuries and reduced minutes at Barca is a fair question. She’s not the same player she was in 2021 and 2022. But even at 80%, she’s probably the best player in the Championship by a wide margin.
The club hasn’t said when she’ll make her debut. Preseason starts next month.
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