The 22-year-old is a World Cup winner after Spain's 2023 triumph Maja Hitij/Getty ImagesJuly 25, 2026 5:54 am EDT Updated OL Lyonnes have announced the signing of Spain forward Salma Paralluelo on a deal to 2030.The 22-year-old left Barcelona as a free agent this summer after declining to sign new terms with the Liga F club.She attracted interest from multiple parties around Europe and the NWSL, rejecting an offer from eight-time Women’s Super League champions Chelsea, before moving to France. According to multiple sources, the London club would not engage with the salary demands of the player, which exceeded £1million per annum.Paralluelo becomes the fourth major departure from Barcelona this summer as Alexia Putellas, Ona Batlle and Mapi Leon have also left on free transfers. She joins former Manchester City and Real Madrid midfielder Caroline Weir as new arrivals to the French club, who announced her arrival on Saturday.
The Spain international joined Barcelona in 2022, fully committing to football after becoming a youth national title-holder on the track, and has won four league titles and the Champions League on three occasions since.Paralluelo scored 72 goals over 131 matches in all competitions at the Catalan side.She has been capped 51 times at the international level by Spain since her debut in 2022, winning the 2023 World Cup and reaching the 2025 European Championship final.
