The greatest player in Barcelona’s history is walking away — and the Women’s Super League could be her next destination.
Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas is set to confirm her exit from Barcelona, with various Spanish outlets reporting that the announcement of her departure will come as early as tomorrow. According to Alfredo Martínez of Onda Cero, her future appears to lie with England’s London City Lionesses.
A Champions League Final Farewell
Putellas is out of contract next month at the club where she has spent 14 years, won four Champions Leagues and two Ballons d’Or as the world’s best player. Her potentially last appearance for the club came in the 4-0 UWCL final victory over OL Lyonnes last weekend.
The 32-year-old’s emotional departure from the field after the final did little to dispel the idea that her time at Barcelona is nearly over. When asked by a reporter from Catalunya Radio “When will we know what you will do next season?”, Putellas simply replied: “You will all see.” Club official Rafa Yuste also refused to comment on her future when pressed by reporters after the final.
The London City Move
Putellas is considering a three-year contract offer from London City that includes a significantly higher salary than Barça can match. The pull of the WSL has been growing for some time. The intrigue deepened further when Putellas attended a London City Lionesses game in January, fuelling speculation about a possible move.
London City is owned by Michele Kang, a major personal investor in women’s football globally, who also owns OL Lyonnes — the very team Putellas and Barcelona defeated in Oslo last Saturday. In a moment that did not go unnoticed, as Putellas walked along the trophy presentation line, she passed by Kang herself.
The two-time Ballon d’Or winner has received a lucrative three-year contract offer from the Lionesses, putting her future at FC Barcelona Femení in serious doubt.
What She Leaves Behind
The scale of Putellas’ legacy at Barcelona is staggering. During her 14 seasons at the club, she won 10 league titles, 10 Copa de la Reina trophies, and four Champions Leagues. This season alone, she featured in 42 games in all competitions, scoring 20 goals and contributing 12 assists.
Despite public assurances from president Joan Laporta regarding her continuity, Barcelona’s sporting director of women’s football Marc Vives had indicated a formal renewal proposal would wait until the end of the campaign — a gamble that now appears to have backfired. Barcelona, battling financial constraints, simply cannot match the lucrative offers available to her from abroad.
A New Chapter
At 32, Putellas is not walking into retirement — she is walking into a new challenge. A move to the WSL with London City would be a seismic moment for English women’s football, and a statement of serious intent from Michele Kang’s rapidly growing project.
For Barcelona, it is the end of an era unlike any other. For women’s football, the story of Alexia Putellas is far from over.