But Putellas, who signed for London City Lionesses this summer in what is being touted as the biggest signing in WSL history, is embarking on a different journey with her new club that brings all the stresses and uncertainties anyone would face. Putellas was unveiled alongside Kang in New York in arguably the highest profile transfer the WSL and women's football has seen.
The former Barcelona midfielder -- 'La Reina' (the queen) as she was called at her former club -- departed the European juggernauts after 14 years after owner Michele Kang managed to convince the midfielder that her highly ambitious new project in the Women's Super League (WSL) would be the best next step in the 32-year-old's career. London City is a young project founded only in 2019 after splitting from Millwall Lionesses, with just one season in the top tier. London City Lionesses were promoted to the WSL in 2025, finished sixth last season in their top-flight debut and are yet to win a major trophy.
The 32-year-old went on to win 38 trophies with Barcelona, including 10 league titles and four European cups. She was awarded back-to-back Ballon d'Or crowns in 2021 and 2022 and is favourite to win it again this year. Internationally, she helped Spain win the 2023 World Cup and finish runners-up at Euro 2025.
Though it is a stark shift for the two-time Ballon d'Or winner -- the first to play in the WSL -- she admitted she has brought no expectations with her to England. “I really believe that moving to England can give me something more,” she says. “Like, I can control the low blocks and all this stuff; I am used to it playing in Spain. I have already controlled that, so [I want] different kind of games or box-to-box and all this stuff.”