Alexia Putellas joins London City Lionesses
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- Alexia Putellas signed for London City Lionesses this summer after 14 years and 38 trophies at Barcelona, in what the BBC describes as the biggest signing in WSL history
- The 32-year-old won back-to-back Ballon d'Or crowns in 2021 and 2022, four Champions League titles with Barcelona, and the 2023 World Cup with Spain — but left European football to join the independent women's-only club
- London City Lionesses open their season against Manchester United on 4 September (19:00 BST), with Putellas telling the BBC her debut is "likely to attract widespread attention"
- Putellas said she joined London City to "find where my limits are," adding she is "100% committed" and "hungry to win," having given up Champions League football for the project
- Manager Eder Maestre told the BBC Putellas is "like a secondary coach on the training pitch," able to conduct how the team plays through the type and weight of her passes
- Putellas brought former Barcelona team-mates Jana Fernandez and summer signing Mapi Leon to London City, and is navigating apartment hunting, London traffic, and a full English breakfast she tried minus the baked beans
Why it matters: A two-time Ballon d'Or winner chose London City — an independent women's-only club in its infancy — over Champions League football, handing the WSL its most high-profile newcomer in years and putting London City's 4 September opener against Manchester United under intense scrutiny.
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