Alexia Putellas captained Barcelona to a 4-0 Champions League final win over Lyon on Saturday. By Tuesday, she'd announced she was leaving the club. Fourteen years, 512 appearances, 234 goals, two Ballon d'Or awards — and now she's testing the market for the first time in her career.
The timing is striking. Putellas departs as arguably the best player Barcelona have ever produced, and she's doing it at 32, which means whoever lands her gets a player with elite experience but not necessarily a decade of runway. That cuts both ways depending on what you're buying.
The NWSL has a serious shot at landing her
Sources told The Athletic that NWSL clubs are among the genuine options on the table. The league's High Impact Player rule — which lets clubs spend up to $1 million above the salary cap on qualifying players — was essentially designed for moments like this. A two-time Ballon d'Or winner doesn't come cheap, and the American league now has the mechanism to compete financially with European heavyweights.
The obvious landing spots are Los Angeles and New York. But don't dismiss Boston — general manager Dome Guasch has direct ties to the Catalan football world and could make a compelling case. Michele Kang's London City Lionesses are also reportedly in the conversation, which would keep Putellas in Europe if she's not quite ready to cross the Atlantic.
If Putellas does land in the NWSL, title odds across the league shift overnight. She's not a depth signing — she restructures how a team attacks and controls possession. Whatever club gets her immediately becomes a contender on paper.
Meanwhile, Manchester City locked up their most important player
The other major piece of business this week: Khadija Shaw is staying at Manchester City on a new four-year deal. Her contract was expiring, Chelsea were front-runners to sign her, and for a few uncomfortable weeks City looked like they might lose their Golden Boot winner for free.
They didn't. Twenty-one goals in 22 games, a WSL title — City's first in a decade — and now a Champions League campaign next season. Signing a 29-year-old striker to a four-year deal is a statement of intent from a club that could easily have cashed in or moved on.
Chelsea, who finished third and now have to qualify for Europe the hard way, were left empty-handed. They also said goodbye to Sam Kerr — 32, their all-time leading scorer — this summer. That's a significant rebuild ahead, and it happened without the marquee signing they were reportedly chasing.
USWNT roster watch: injuries opening doors
Emma Hayes announces her squad for the Brazil friendlies tomorrow, and the midfield — usually her most settled unit — has some real uncertainty heading in. Sam Coffey is recovering from knee surgery. Rose Lavelle has been out since May 8 with a hamstring issue. Catarina Macario is managing a heel problem. That's three established names with question marks.
Two names to watch: North Carolina Courage's Ashley Sanchez and Utah Royals center back Kate Del Fava, whose club sits top of the NWSL table. Del Fava would be a first call-up, but with Naomi Girma sidelined since April with a calf injury, the door at center back is genuinely open rather than just theoretically ajar.
Hayes has framed 2025 as an experimental year, but Brazil is a World Cup host — these aren't throwaway friendlies. The roster announcement tomorrow will say a lot about how much she means that.
