England's Mary Earps and Spain's Mapi Leon set to join London City Lionesses in 2026

Mary Earps and Mapi Leon are on the verge of signing with London City Lionesses ahead of the summer transfer window.

Earps agrees to join Lionesses England’s former goalkeeper Mary Earps has finalized personal terms with London City Lionesses for a move this summer. The club has also reached a verbal agreement with Spain defender Mapi Leon, who departed Barcelona last month after nine seasons. Both players are expected to finalize their contracts this month as London City Lionesses push their summer ambitions in the WSL transfer market. Earps’ anticipated return to England marks a major step following her decorated international career. ## Earps' career highlights before move The 33-year-old, who will join from Paris St-Germain when her contract ends after two years in France, made 22 appearances in the Premiere Ligue this season. She recorded 12 clean sheets as PSG finished third, 13 points behind Lyon. Earps, a two-time Fifa Best Goalkeeper of the Year winner, played a key role in England’s Euro 2022 triumph and their journey to the 2023 World Cup final. She previously spent five years at Manchester United, making over 100 appearances and helping them win their first major trophy, the Women’s FA Cup, in 2024. ## Leon leaves Barcelona for London Spain international Mapi Leon has recently departed Barcelona, where she claimed 27 trophies during her time at one of Europe’s top teams. The 30-year-old won four Champions League titles with Barcelona, including this season’s final where she started in their 4-0 victory over Lyon. Leon has earned 54 caps for Spain but stepped away from the national team for nearly three years alongside teammates due to disputes over working conditions and a conflict with the Spanish Football Federation, which began in 2022. She skipped the 2023 Women’s World Cup as Spain won the tournament before returning to the squad in October 2025 and starting the Nations League final a month later in Spain’s 3-0 win over Germany. ## London City Lionesses' summer ambitions London City Lionesses, backed by owner Michele Kang, concluded their inaugural WSL campaign in sixth place. The club is now set for a transformative summer as they continue negotiations for two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, whose Barcelona exit was announced last week after 14 years. Putellas’ impending transfer decision is expected to dominate the summer window, with several marquee players also on the move. Australia’s Sam Kerr is available on a free transfer following her Chelsea departure, while Chelsea are finalizing a deal for Arsenal defender Katie McCabe. ## Other major WSL transfer movements Manchester City are favored to sign England forward Beth Mead after her Arsenal exit and have been linked with a potential move for Chelsea’s Niamh Charles. Arsenal, meanwhile, are closing in on England midfielder Georgia Stanway from Bayern Munich and Spain defender Ona Batlle from Barcelona. These transfers, alongside the Lionesses’ pursuit of Putellas, Leon, and Earps, highlight a busy summer window with high-profile signings reshaping the league.