Official: Alexia Putellas, new player of London City Lionesses

BarcelonaAmidst celebrations of Spaniards, Norwegians, and Argentinians, Alexia Putellas has once again taken center stage. The former Barça player has been presented in New York as the new player for London City Lionesses. The player from Mollet, who on June 30th closed a fourteen-year chapter at Barça, signs for the team owned by Michele Kang and will become part of the Kynisca group, an organization that also owns Olympique de Lyon. “The future does not belong to those who wait, it belongs to those who want to build, to those who want to see something others cannot, to those who believe before everyone else. I am excited to start this new chapter with London City Lionesses,” assured Alexia, who will continue to wear the number eleven jersey.

As ARA already explained, the player from Mollet del Vallès has spoken about the club's ambition and London City's commitment to growing as an exclusively female entity as some of the reasons why she has chosen the English team over other North American proposals. “I am eager to influence on the field with the challenge of winning titles. Off the pitch, I am excited to build on my passion for youth development and to work with Michele Kang to elevate women's football in England and worldwide. When I met Kang, she told me that women's football is not a charity. I will give my all to help grow women's football”.

Alexia has also revealed a conversation with Michele Kang. "When her project started some time ago, she called me because she was interested in knowing what was important for the players. After that conversation, she explained the project she had in mind. Over time, I have seen that she has done everything she said she would. For me, that is important, that it is not just words, but actions. This is another of the reasons why I have chosen London City".

The Catalan player, who has confessed that she wants to continue competing and that she is not going to London to enjoy herself –as some people have told her–, has detailed how these weeks have gone. "The first thing I had to think about was whether, after fourteen years, it was time to put an end to my time at Barça. After winning everything, I think it was a good time to leave after having given my all. Then, I met with my agent and told him that I wanted to keep winning and competing every weekend. It has been an easy decision and I am excited about playing in England. My mentality does not change, I still want to win everything," she stated.

The South Korean magnate has highlighted the importance of this signing. “It is a dream come true, I can't believe I am sitting here. Alexia Putellas personifies talent, dedication, and vision in women's football. Her decision to join our exclusively women's club – the only one currently in the English First Division – is a powerful endorsement of what we are building at London City and Kynisca,” stated Kang, who added that they will work to create new commercial opportunities and development pathways for young athletes.

Although Alexia's signing was not made official until this Wednesday, rumors about her arrival have sparked the interest of English fans. London City has already sold more season tickets than it did at the start of last season, a figure that is expected to grow even more after the official announcement of her arrival. The English team plays its matches at Hayes Lane, a stadium – which it shares with the men's Bromley team – located about twenty kilometers from London and with a capacity of 6,100 people.

Michele Kang's obsession with Barça

Michele Kang has returned to fish at Barça. The businesswoman, who already has sports director Markel Zubizarreta, coach Jonatan Giráldez and players like Jana Fernández, Ingrid Engen, María Pérez or Lucía Corrales within her group, continues to threaten the blaugrana team, which cannot compete with the South Korean's millions. This summer, in addition to Alexia Putellas, she will also take Mapi León to London City, while Salma Paralluelo received interest from the London team and Olympique de Lyon.

And she is achieving all this with a very young club. Founded in 2019 after separating from Millwall – with a presence in men's football – it was acquired in 2023 by Kang's Kynisca group. In the 2025-26 season, they played for the first time in the English First Division, where they secured permanence after changing coach mid-season. Eder Maestre, former Tenerife coach, took the reins at the beginning of the year.

The English entity continues to grow off the field. A few months ago, it announced the creation of the "most advanced training center in the world for women's football" at Cobdown Park, about fifty kilometers from London, which will open "soon", as confirmed by the South Korean businesswoman. In addition, Kang also recently created an institute dedicated to analyzing and studying women's football and women's behavior in sport through science and innovation. Among the studies are injury prevention, mental health, workload management, menstrual health, and the transition from youth categories to the elite.