Four-time Champions League winner Mapi Leon follows Alexia Putellas & Mary Earps to London City Lionesses as impressive summer transfer window continues for Michele Kang project

Leon's move to London City has been rumoured for some time, with her contract expiring at Barcelona this summer. The defender's departure from Catalunya, where she won 24 major trophies in nine years, was confirmed before the end of last season and her next destination has now become official, with her unveiled as a London City player on Monday.

Leon signs a three-year deal with the club, which will contest just its second season in the WSL in this upcoming campaign after winning promotion to the top-flight in 2025. Kang, who also owns Washington Spirit and eight-time European champions Lyon, took over the club midway through the 2023-24 season and has invested heavily in the project to propel it to the top table, and so it can now attract stars like Leon, Putellas and Earps as attention turns towards a first major trophy and European qualification, following a sixth-placed finish last year.

Speaking upon her arrival in London, Leon said: "I’m excited and happy to be here. It’s an interesting and attractive project. I have seen what is being built and what is taking shape. I played in Spain for many years and I felt now was the right time to move given the project. The English league is helping women’s football grow. I wanted to test myself in another country, another league, playing a different type of football.

"I think it is incredible what Michele conveys. She is an inspirational woman who wants women’s football to develop and thrive. Of course, I want to be part of something like this, a club which has been created for women. My team-mates will help me settle into the new environment and I hope my experience and leadership can help the team this season. I am looking forward to working with head coach Eder [Maestre], the staff and my new team-mates.

"My intention here is to reach the highest level as quickly as possible. Everything in a project goes in stages and requires hard work. I want to keep winning and still have the determination to be able to achieve this. Hopefully we can do this with London City Lionesses."

Leon's arrival is yet another statement of intent in what is turning into a remarkable summer transfer window for London City. Widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the world, if not the best, the 31-year-old starred as Barca won the quadruple last year and arrives in London as a genuinely world-class player.

She follows Putellas to the club, the two-time Ballon d'Or winner who may well win a third later this year, such was the impact she made as Barca scooped up those four trophies last term, but also Earps and Nicole Anyomi. Earps should help improve the quality in between the sticks, with Elene Lete struggling at times in her first season in the WSL, while Anyomi adds genuine firepower to the attack, arriving after racking up 13 goals and six assists in just 20 Bundesliga starts at Eintracht Frankfurt last time out.

Janni Thomsen, the versatile Denmark international, has also joined from Utah Royals in a busy transfer window that has seen Katie Zelem, Gesa Marashi, Maddi Wilde, Julia Roddar, Cerys Brown, Lotta Lindstrom and Teyah Goldie depart, the latter on loan.

While it is all excitement at London City, there is intrigue about how the departure of Leon and many others could impact Barcelona. She is one of four key first-team players to leave the club this summer, alongside Putellas, Ona Batlle and Salma Paralluelo, with Batlle signing for Arsenal and Paralluelo still weighing up her options when it comes to her next move.

The Blaugrana are still the European champions and were so dominant last year despite questions about their squad composition, so it would be foolish to write them off. After all, the likes of Patri Guijarro, Aitana Bonmati and Ewa Pajor are all still part of a fantastic squad and the youth set-up below the first-team continues to thrive in a remarkable way. But it will not be easy to cope with these exits, with a first summer signing still to come.

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