Football · Lyon and Barcelona
Salma Paralluelo joins Olympique Lyonnais on four-year deal, rejecting Chelsea offer
The Spain forward leaves Barcelona as a free agent, turning down Chelsea’s WSL champions to reunite with former coach Jonatan Giráldez in France.
In brief
Paralluelo signed a four-year deal with OL Lyonnes to 30 June 2030, shortly after her Barcelona contract expired on 30 June 2026.
Chelsea refused to match salary demands exceeding £1 million per year, according to sources cited by The New York Times.
She scored 72 goals in 131 appearances for Barcelona, winning three Champions Leagues, four league titles and 15 trophies overall.
Paralluelo joins former Barcelona coach Jonatan Giráldez at Lyon, where he now manages the side owned by Michele Kang.
The club also signed Caroline Weir, Maria Luisa Grohs and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd after losing the 2025–26 Champions League final 4-0 to Barcelona.
- 30 JunBarcelona contract expires
- 25 JulLyon announces four-year signing
- 27 JulPreseason training begins
- 31 JulOfficial presentation of new signings
Signing announced
On Saturday, Olympique Lyonnais confirmed the signing of Spain forward Salma Paralluelo on a four-year contract that keeps her at the club until 30 June 2030. She had been a free agent since her Barcelona deal expired on 30 June. The 22-year-old will wear the number 77 jersey and begin preseason training on Monday 27 July. The club’s new arrivals, including Caroline Weir, Maria Luisa Grohs and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, will be presented to media and fans on Friday 31 July. Paralluelo unveiled the move in a video steeped in football ambition.
“Passion. Emotions. That shiver that runs through the body, makes stadiums vibrate and brings the fans to their feet. Overcoming obstacles. Facing every challenge. The stadium. The track. The field. Giving my best. Being the best. Competing. Winning. Surpassing myself. It's in my DNA because that's how winners think. It's the mentality of a Lyonne. Amid the expectations and rumours, I followed my heart. Lyon. The City of Light. Blaugrana. Rouge et Bleu. The challenges change, but something remains: the ambition to join those who make history. Wearing this badge is a choice; honouring it, my responsibility. I'm clear. Je suis une Lyonne. Allez les Lyonnes!”
A glittering Barcelona spell
Paralluelo joined Barcelona in 2022 after a spell at Villarreal, where she combined football with a promising athletics career. Once she focused exclusively on football, the numbers stacked up: 72 goals in 131 matches, 15 trophies including three Women’s Champions League titles and four Liga F crowns. She placed third in the Ballon d’Or Féminin in both 2023 and 2024. Her departure marks the fourth major free-agent exit from Barcelona this summer, alongside Alexia Putellas, Ona Batlle and Mapi Leon.
Chelsea interest and Lyon’s rebuild
According to The New York Times, Chelsea, the eight-time WSL champions, were among the clubs pursuing Paralluelo but refused to meet salary demands that multiple sources pegged above £1 million per year. That opened the door for Lyon, where she reunites with Jonatan Giráldez, her former coach at Barcelona. Lyon, owned by Michele Kang, is responding aggressively to a 4-0 defeat by Barcelona in the 2025–26 Champions League final, a game in which Paralluelo scored twice. Alongside the Spanish forward, the club has secured Scotland midfielder Caroline Weir, German goalkeeper Maria Luisa Grohs and Swedish winger Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, aiming to reclaim the European title.
International pedigree and timeline
Paralluelo has been capped 51 times by Spain since her 2022 debut, winning the 2023 Women’s World Cup and reaching the final of Euro 2025. She is the first player to win the World Cup at three youth levels: under-17 in 2018, under-20 in 2022, and senior in 2023. Her move to Lyon follows a rapid sequence of events.