Mary Earps Joins London City: A Bold Move for WSL Ambitions

London City Lionesses have been signing on the front foot all summer. Now they have their headline act.

Mary Earps, the former England No 1 and one of the defining goalkeepers of her generation, will join the club on a two-year deal on July 1, once her contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires. At 33, with a trophy cabinet and a reputation to match, she is walking straight back into the WSL – and straight into one of its boldest projects.

This is no gentle homecoming. It is a challenge she has picked on purpose.

A champion with unfinished business

Earps returns to England two years after leaving Manchester United, where she became a cornerstone of their rise. Across five seasons in Manchester she made 102 appearances and kept 45 clean sheets, numbers that underpinned United’s push into the elite and helped elevate her to global prominence.

Her international story is already etched into England’s modern history. She was central to the Euro 2022 triumph and just as pivotal in the run to the World Cup final a year later. Then came the jolt. Last summer, only five weeks before the Euros, she retired from international football after losing her starting spot to Hannah Hampton. A shock decision, and one that seemed to close a chapter.

It turns out she was only clearing space for another.

"I'm over the moon to join this club and I'm really looking forward to it," Earps said as London City confirmed the deal. "I feel the club aligns with what I stand for. I can't wait to get started and to get down to business."

That phrase – getting down to business – fits the mood around the Lionesses.

London City’s big swing

Promoted to the WSL for the first time last season and finishing a respectable sixth, London City have wasted no time behaving like they belong. Their recruitment drive has been loud and unapologetic, and their interest in Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas underlines just how far they are willing to push.

This is not a club content to “consolidate”. Owner Michele Kang has poured ambition into every corner of the project, from a star-led squad to a new training facility designed to match their aspirations.

Earps has bought into that vision completely.

"The club's values represent what I want to represent and they are passionate about what I want to achieve and change the game in a positive way," she said. "All the conversations have been really positive and every time I spoke with the club I wanted to hear more.

"The vision and ambition, including the new training facility, is incredible and I'm looking forward to seeing that develop. It shows what our owner, Michele, and everyone at the club want to do in terms of really going for it.

"It's about putting a marker down and saying we want to be competitive in a short space of time."

This is a goalkeeper choosing a project, not just a paycheque or a postcode.

Fixing the weakest link

For all the noise around London City’s attacking talent and star power, the numbers from last season told a blunt story. Eder Maestre’s side conceded 35 goals, more than the league average of 32. For a team with top-four ambitions, that is too generous.

Earps changes that equation immediately.

There will be questions about chemistry – they always come when a club collects big names at speed. The men’s game has already provided cautionary tales, not least the Lionel Messi–Neymar–Kylian Mbappe era at PSG, when the star power never quite translated into the dominance many expected.

London City are building something different, though. Earps is not arriving as a luxury piece. She is a structural signing, the kind that shifts standards on the training pitch as much as on matchdays.

"I'm looking forward to working alongside Elene and the goalkeeping unit," she said, referencing Elene Lete, who impressed last season. "Elene made some great saves and interventions last season. Hopefully, we can bounce off each other and work hard and enjoy it."

That competition should harden a department that needs to improve if London City are serious about cracking the WSL’s traditional top four.

A goalkeeper still hungry

For all she has already achieved, Earps made it clear this move is about what comes next, not what has gone before.

"My message to the fans is that I'm really excited to get started and make some memories together. I can't wait to play in front of you all.

"I'm looking forward to getting to know the players, the style of play and club culture, and trying to give everything I can to help the club achieve its collective goals and be as successful as possible.

"I feel I still have so much left to give to the game, and that's exactly why I chose London City.

"It won't be easy, the WSL is extremely competitive. The team had a brilliant 2025/26 season, finishing mid-table in their first season, now it's about climbing the table and working towards finishing as high as possible."

There is no hint of a farewell tour in that language. Earps is stepping into one of the league’s most demanding positions with her reputation on the line and a young club looking to her as a standard-bearer.

London City already had ambition. Now they have a goalkeeper whose career has been built on turning ambition into reality.

If they are serious about breaking the WSL’s established order, this is the kind of signing that turns a bold idea into a genuine threat.