Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas has signed a three-year deal with Women's Super League club London City Lionesses. The signing, announced at an event in New York on Wednesday, July 8, is considered one of the biggest scoops in women's football history. Putellas joins the club on a free transfer.
The 32-year-old Spain international arrives after a 14-year spell at Barcelona, where she won four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles. A member of the Spain team that won the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Putellas stated that she is thrilled to embark on this new chapter, noting that the club’s ambition and commitment to growing as a women-only independent club resonate deeply with her.
Owned by billionaire Michele Kang, London City Lionesses is the only fully independent side in the top flight, operating without affiliation to a men’s team. The club, which finished sixth in its debut WSL campaign, secured promotion to the WSL in 2025. Putellas' arrival could help draw in other leading players and boost the club's ambitions to compete for domestic and European honors.
Alongside Putellas, London City Lionesses have also announced the recruitment of Mary Earps and Nicole Anyomi.