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Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas is bidding farewell to Barcelona after 14 years, with strong speculation linking her to the London City Lionesses as her next destination.

On Tuesday, Putellas confirmed her departure from Barcelona, the club she has represented and captained for over a decade.

At 32, the Spanish midfielder boasts an extraordinary career—winning the Ballon d’Or twice, lifting the World Cup with Spain in 2023, and claiming her fourth UEFA Women’s Champions League title just last weekend.

A farewell event was held on Wednesday morning at Spotify Camp Nou to honour one of the sport’s all-time greats. The big question now is: where will she go next?

A farewell video shared by Putellas expressed her heartfelt emotions for the club and the memories she built there.

“I remember the first time I heard your chants,” she said. “I was six years old, and it was the first time I went to Camp Nou with my father.

“At that time, I only saw men playing in the stadium, and I would never have imagined that one day, more than 90,000 culés would chant my name.

“We have taken the women’s team further than we ever dreamed. In the beginning, being a footballer wasn’t even considered a profession. Now, I’m simply grateful to have been part of this transformation.

“Fourteen seasons and more than 500 matches—moments that will forever remain in Barça’s history and my heart.

“I always said I wanted the end to come when I was still at my best, giving everything with full energy.

“It’s been a perfect story.”

For Putellas, it indeed has been a perfect journey—though one Barcelona fans dreaded. Since joining at 18, she has been a cornerstone of a team that evolved into a European powerhouse.

Barcelona have reached six consecutive Champions League finals, winning four of them. Appointed captain in the 2021/22 season, Putellas further etched her name among football’s elite by securing back-to-back Ballon d’Or titles in 2021 and 2022.

Reports now link her to London City Lionesses—the independent club that gained promotion to the Women’s Super League last summer.

Unlike most newly promoted sides, London City entered the top division with robust financial support and bold ambitions. The club is owned by billionaire Michele Kang, whose readiness to invest has drawn attention throughout women’s football.

Playing home games at Hayes Lane in Bromley, London City made headlines last summer by breaking the women’s world-record transfer fee—signing Grace Geyoro from Paris Saint-Germain for £1.4 million.

Their current roster includes top names such as Sweden’s Kosovare Asllani (recovering from an ACL injury), former Arsenal midfielder Danielle van de Donk, ex-Lyon forward Delphine Cascarino, and Putellas’ former Barcelona teammate Jana Fernandez.

Despite these high-profile signings, London City finished sixth in their debut WSL campaign, 22 points off the top three and European qualification. Still, owner Kang’s vision to build an elite side with a wider fanbase is unmistakable.

Previous pursuits of star players like Beth Mead fell short, but signing a global icon like Putellas could be the transformative step Kang has been seeking.

While the WSL offers more competitive fixtures than Liga F, a seventh-place finish would mean Putellas missing out on Champions League football—something she has continuously experienced during her Barcelona years.

The difference in fan following would also be stark. London City’s record attendance this season was just over 5,400, in contrast to the 60,067 spectators who watched Barcelona’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid at Spotify Camp Nou. Yet, Putellas’ arrival would almost certainly boost attendance figures at Bromley.

Still, the club’s long-term strategy and Kang’s ambitious project could appeal to Putellas—especially if she is offered a leadership role in shaping their future, along with pay befitting her world-class stature.