Could Alexia Putellas join the NWSL or will she sign a new deal at Barcelona?

The new sporting director of Barcelona Femení, Marc Vivés, is not short of work. Announced by the club just six days ago, he has a tough task ahead of him as there are up to eight Barcelona players, plus coach Jonatan Giráldez, whose contracts end in June 2024. And there is something else, a top priority: the renewal of two-time Ballon d’Or winner, Alexia Putellas. The captain of the blaugrana is undoubtedly top of the to-do list.

The team and individual sporting success achieved by Alexia, who is already a living legend, spell out an almost obligatory script to Marc Vivès: he must start talks with Alexia to agree a new deal and keep the number ‘11′ at the club.

For the moment, said negotiations remain on pause, as they were when Markel Zubizarreta, who only completed Patri Guijarro’s contract extension (until 2027), left the Catalan club. But time is running out and there is barely a month and a half left until January 1, 2024, the date from which the World Cup winner becomes free to start negotiating with other clubs... or franchises.

Alexia appears to have overcome physical issues

Because, published by Ara, a handful of European teams and the NWSL, historically the best women’s soccer league in the world that has just been won by a Spain-inspired Gotham, are closely following the Alexia Putellas story. And they can offer a salary above €1 million and even up to €1.5m (currently, as reported by Forbes, she receives about €650,000), an unattainable figure for the Barça board, given the current economic reality that surrounds the club.

Fully recovered from the anterior cruciate ligament injury she suffered in July 2022, Barça’s captain has scored three goals, with the strike against Atlético making her Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer, and has provided one assist in 490 minutes spread over eight Liga F games. She has not missed a single match so far this season, a positive sign that she is physically back to where she left off before the injury.

Whether playing as a number ‘9′ or inside midfielder, Alexia is consistently showing her talent is above that of most and manager Giráldez and her teammates are backing her all the way. “Alexia is Alexia, I had no doubt that she would return to the same level or more,” said defender Mapi León on Monday in the run-up to the match that the side have this Tuesday against Benfica.

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Barça director on Alexia contract: ‘we have to do whatever it takes’

The club’s board of directors are also clear about the situation, and sporting director Xavier Budó was blunt about it in a conversation with Mundo Deportivo: “We are clear that with any great player, we have to do whatever it takes for them to continue. We have been negotiating the renewal with her agent for two months and Alexia has told us that she wants to continue and the club want to do whatever it takes to keep her. And Alexia is Alexia”.

A serial Ballon d’Or winner, two times voted FIFA’s The Best, a double UEFA Player of the Year, there is nobody else who matches Alexia’s individual achievements and few reach her collective ones: a World Cup, seven Leagues, eight Queen’s Cups, three Super Cups and two Champions League titles.

Alexia has won most of them wearing the shirt that she wore and dreamed of wearing when she was a child: the blaugrana of Barça. Therefore, although the renewal of the legend must involve a salary increase in line with her importance and sporting relevance, it must take into account the economic reality of the club, as told by Sport. The feeling of understanding between the two sides must be reciprocal. Because, as Melanie Serrano coined: Alexia is Barça, and Barça is Alexia.