{"id":52131,"date":"2026-07-08T17:05:34","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T17:05:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/52131\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T17:05:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T17:05:34","slug":"how-michele-kang-convinced-two-time-ballon-dor-winner-alexia-putellas-to-join-london-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/52131\/","title":{"rendered":"How Michele Kang convinced two-time Ballon d\u2019Or winner Alexia Putellas to join London City"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alexia Putellas is officially the London City Lionesses\u2019 latest signing. Unveiled at an event in New York City after Putellas had been spotted hopping across the United States for the 2026 men\u2019s World Cup, the perennial winner has put a bow on her legacy-filled chapter with FC Barcelona to join a project based on potential rather than a proven record.<\/p>\n

However, what the club lacks in reputation is made up for by owner Michele Kang\u2019s vision in Putellas\u2019 eyes.<\/p>\n

For all the headlines about a transfer saga, in the end, the courtship between Putellas and London City was relatively straightforward, thanks largely to a shared mission between the player and Kang. Despite serious interest from National Women\u2019s Soccer League clubs and the league\u2019s front office, Putellas was won over by Kang\u2019s vision at London City.<\/p>\n

Putellas departed Barcelona this summer<\/a> as a two-time Ballon d\u2019Or winner and four-time Champions League victor among more than 30 titles.<\/p>\n

When Putellas takes the field this September on the outskirts of London in Bromley \u2014 a far cry from the 60,000 fans at Camp Nou when she played her final home Champions League match for Barcelona \u2014 it will be the start of London City\u2019s second season in the Women\u2019s Super League, English football\u2019s top flight.<\/p>\n

Though the team has plans for a new training facility, Hayes Lane, where London City plays their home games, has a capacity of just over 6,000. The Lionesses were fighting an uphill battle with attendance in their first year, often pulling fans in due in part to their opponent, as they continue to establish themselves in the league. Their attendance peaked at 5,414 fans last season in a 2-0 loss to Arsenal, who play their home matches at Emirates Stadium with a 60,000-seat capacity.<\/p>\n

London City promises something entirely different for the 32-year-old midfielder: A chance to be part of the WSL\u2019s only independent club<\/a>, holding ambitions to unseat Chelsea and Arsenal.<\/p>\n

Putellas avoided stirring up a bidding war as she made her final decision. One source, speaking on condition on anonymity like others in this article to protect relationships, characterized the conversation between club and player as a mutual understanding of the player\u2019s worth from the jump. Putellas prioritized what London City \u2014 and Kang\u2019s global reach<\/a> \u2014 could offer her in the next stage of her career, having won basically everything there is to win with Barcelona<\/a>\u00a0through her 14 seasons with the club.<\/p>\n

Multiple sources familiar with the negotiations said the finances were never a sticking point. Putellas\u2019 drive was never to become the world\u2019s top-paid player, despite that record being tested nearly weekly during the transfer window. Instead, her larger aim is to help grow the sport.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Alexia Putellas said farewell to Barcelona after 14 successful seasons. (Joan Valls \/ NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Putellas\u2019 annual salary at Barcelona was roughly \u20ac750,000 (\u00a3640,000; $850,000), and she will get a solid, not outrageous, bump in London. A source familiar with the terms of the contract said that while additional conditions could come into play, Putellas\u2019 base salary will be under \u20ac1 million a year, with the initial contract set to run three years.<\/p>\n

In January 2026, with six months left on her deal, Putellas was spotted at Hayes Lane, taking in London City\u2019s 2-1 defeat by Manchester City next to her then-teammate at Barcelona, Patricia Guijarro. There was a friendly reason for their attendance, with former Bar\u00e7a player Jana Fern\u00e1ndez featuring for the home side (plus Leila Ouahabi playing for Manchester City). Kang was also in attendance. While outside observers may point to it as potential initial contact in the signing saga, it was not the first time Putellas and Kang had met.<\/p>\n

Following Kang\u2019s contentious takeover of the Washington Spirit in 2022<\/a>, she crossed paths with Putellas at one of the myriad events on investing in women\u2019s football. Kang spoke about her big bet on the Spirit\u2019s value, but also what she planned for the future. Putellas took note of Kang\u2019s ambitions due to her own work with her foundation, but beyond that brief interaction, they went their separate ways.<\/p>\n

While in many ways it\u2019s been impossible to ignore, Putellas kept track of how Kang followed up on her plan, from the formation of her multi-club organization Kynisca \u2014 and subsequent acquisitions of OL Lyonnes and London City \u2014 to further investments in research, coaching education, U.S. Soccer and more.<\/p>\n

However, in May 2024, Putellas signed a two-year extension with Barcelona,<\/a> with an option to add another 12 months. As early as the summer of 2025, Putellas was considering leaving and came close to a move to Paris Saint-Germain. Some Barcelona staffers even received a call informing them of her intentions to leave, according to sources with knowledge of Putellas\u2019 deliberations.<\/p>\n

At the last minute, Putellas decided to stay.<\/p>\n

In her final season with the club, she surpassed 500 total appearances and became Barcelona\u2019s second-highest scorer, man or woman, with 232 goals (Lionel Messi, on 672, is first). Barcelona won the league, as well as the Copa de la Reina and Supercopa de Espa\u00f1a, and put the exclamation point on their year with a 4-0 trouncing of Kang\u2019s OL Lyonnes in the Champions League final.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Alexia Putellas became Barcelona\u2019s second all-time scorer, men or women, second to Lionel Messi. (Lluis Gene \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

By mid-March, the rumblings of a potential connection between London City and Putellas began to emerge again. There were some familiar faces within the organization already: LCL\u2019s general manager Gonzalo Rodr\u00edguez Garc\u00eda managed Barcelona from 2018 to 2021, and Kynisca\u2019s global sporting director Markel Zubizarreta previously served as the head of the women\u2019s team from 2015 to 2023. Both overlapped with Putellas, who was with the club before women\u2019s football was even fully professionalized in Spain in 2021.<\/p>\n

Any club or league with ambition had reason to inquire about her future, and interest was clear across England, the United States and Mexico. By April, Putellas\u2019 camp insisted that she was entirely focused on her remaining time at Barcelona and no decision had been made.<\/p>\n

On May 26, Putellas posted her farewell to Barcelona. By the end of the month, she was still considering her options, according to sources familiar with Putellas\u2019 decision-making. There was serious interest from a few NWSL clubs, with Boston Legacy submitting a formal offer in early June. By the end, they were the final club in the mix alongside London City, according to multiple sources.<\/p>\n

The Legacy\u2019s general manager, Dom\u00e8nec Guasch, another former Bar\u00e7a employee, declined to comment on the nature of their offer. However, a source indicated Boston understood Putellas\u2019 larger goals to grow the game and were ready to fully support that work, in addition to providing what they considered a competitive financial package within the limitations of the league\u2019s salary cap.<\/p>\n

The NWSL\u2019s front office also reached out to her representation, extolling the benefits of what the league could offer on and off the field, according to sources with knowledge of the offer. They cited the league\u2019s parity, protections in the collective bargaining agreement, and the introduction of the high-impact player rule that allows spending of up to $1 million over a team\u2019s salary cap<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Putellas would not only have qualified for the new rule, but could also have served as the clearest example yet of the NWSL\u2019s ambitions to sign the best players in the world. Trinity Rodman remains the highest-profile signing<\/a> made using the new mechanism introduced to help keep her in the U.S.<\/p>\n

Despite public reporting around NWSL clubs being in contention through the World Cup break, in reality, Putellas\u2019 selection of London City was never really in doubt for multiple reasons.<\/p>\n

Two sources familiar with Putellas\u2019 thinking said she ultimately found the WSL to be a better fit for top players than the U.S.\u2019s top flight. While the NWSL\u2019s parity can\u2019t be denied, the sources said that Putellas felt the WSL offered higher-quality opponents and a better overall environment \u2014 and a quicker trip home to Barcelona, as a bonus.<\/p>\n

Multiple sources who were close to the negotiations said both Putellas and Kang see her move to London City as more than just a project on the field, but an alignment between one of the best players in the world and the game\u2019s biggest investor with a shared mission of growing the game. Putellas had a front-row seat to the rise of women\u2019s soccer in Spain, but her gaze has also become global.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Michele Kang\u2019s multi-club ownership includes London City, OL Lyonnes and the Washington Spirit (Maja Hitij \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

For all her previous success, it would be na\u00efve to suggest Putellas isn\u2019t interested in winning, too. While sources said that Putellas had little desire to go to a direct competitor of Barcelona in the Champions League, such as Chelsea or Arsenal, the project Kang is building at Hayes Lane offered something different. With her decision finally public, there will be reputational risk for Putellas, even if it is only the perception of risk in choosing London City. If nothing else, UEFA doubled down on banning two clubs from the same multi-club organization from participating in the women\u2019s Champions League before this year\u2019s final, with head of women\u2019s football Nadine Kessler citing \u201csporting integrity\u201d as the primary factor.<\/p>\n

London City\u2019s aggressive push into the transfer market \u2014 and Kang\u2019s willingness to spend money \u2014 may have\u00a0rankled many across the WSL and European women\u2019s football. B<\/a>ut the club also understands a truth about the women\u2019s game as it stands today: investment such as this may pay off much quicker than what it would take on the men\u2019s side to produce a winning club at the highest level.<\/p>\n

Last season, London City finished their first season in the top flight firmly in the middle of the pack, with an 8-3-11 record and nearly 30 points back from title-winners Manchester City. They were 13 points off the pace for a top-four finish. Putellas is not the only arrival this summer, though, with former England goalkeeper Mary Earps signing a two-year deal<\/a>, Germany international Nicole Anyomi joining on a four-year contract and former Utah Royals right back Janni Thomsen adding to their options in defence.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, Putellas\u2019 new start in London officially begins, albeit in New York City \u2014 maybe 3,500 miles further away than anyone might have expected. Still, the mission is clear. She is not done winning off or on the pitch.<\/p>\n

Megan Feringa contributed to this reporting.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Alexia Putellas is officially the London City Lionesses\u2019 latest signing. Unveiled at an event in New York City…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":52132,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[92,15425,22436,14086,2868,3509,15035],"class_list":["post-52131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-barcelona","tag-barcelona","tag-boston-legacy-fc","tag-london-city-lionesses-lfc","tag-nwsl","tag-sports-business","tag-womens-soccer","tag-womens-super-league"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52131"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52131\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/spain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}