Mary Earps Signs with London City: A Statement Move
Mary Earps is back in the WSL – and she is not coming quietly.
London City Lionesses have confirmed the signing of the former England No 1 on a two-year deal, effective from July 1, when her contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires. At 33, with a medal-laden international career already behind her, this is not a gentle glide toward retirement. It is a goalkeeper picking a fight with the established order.
She returns to England two years after leaving Manchester United, where she became one of the defining figures of the club’s modern era. Across five seasons at United, Earps played 102 games and kept 45 clean sheets, the bedrock of a side that grew from hopeful to serious contender.
Now she walks into something very different: a London City side with only one WSL season behind them, a mid-table finish to build on, and an owner in Michele Kang who has made it clear that “mid-table” is not the long-term brief.
A champion who walked away – and now leans back in
Earps stunned the game last summer when she retired from international football, just five weeks before the Euros, after losing her starting place to Hannah Hampton. For a player who had been central to England’s Euro 2022 triumph and their run to the World Cup final the following year, it felt like a brutal full stop.
She clearly never saw it that way.
"I'm over the moon to join this club and I'm really looking forward to it," she said after the move was announced. The language is upbeat, but the subtext is sharper: this is a player who believes there is still a point to prove and a game to shape.
"I feel the club aligns with what I stand for. I can't wait to get started and to get down to business."
That word – business – matters. London City are not hiding from their intentions. They were promoted to the WSL for the first time last season and finished sixth. Respectable. Solid. Not nearly enough for a project backed by serious investment and serious ambition.
London City’s big swing
This is not a cautious build. London City are leaning straight into the spotlight. They are already being linked with Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, a move that would send shockwaves through the women’s game if they pull it off. Earps is the latest in a growing list of “statement” names.
Inside the club, the pitch to Earps was clear: big vision, big backing, and a desire to disrupt the traditional top four.
Earps bought it.
"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."
She talked about the new training facility, about Kang’s investment, about a club that is not pretending to be patient.
"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."
That is not the language of consolidation. That is a shot across the league.
Fixing the weak spot
For all the excitement around London City’s recruitment, there is a cold, simple truth: they conceded too many goals last season. Eder Maestre’s side shipped 35 in the league, more than the WSL average of 32. You do not break into the elite with those numbers.
Earps changes that equation.
Her presence alone upgrades the defensive unit. The communication, the organisation, the sheer authority of a keeper who has stood in a European Championship final and a World Cup final is not easily replicated.
She will share the goalkeeping department with Elene Lete, who impressed last season and will now train daily with one of the best of her generation.
"I'm looking forward to working alongside Elene and the goalkeeping unit," Earps said. "Elene made some great saves and interventions last season. Hopefully, we can bounce off each other and work hard and enjoy it."
For Maestre, this is a luxury and a challenge: two high-level keepers, one position, and a season where every point will matter.
A fanbase to win and a table to climb
Earps has never been a distant, aloof figure. Her connection with supporters at club and country level has always been obvious, and she moved quickly to speak directly to London City fans.
"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."
That bond will matter. London City are still building their identity in the top flight, still carving out their place in a landscape dominated by long-established giants. A player of Earps’ stature gives them instant credibility, on the pitch and off it.
"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."
No illusions, though. She knows where she is landing.
"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."
A gamble worth taking?
From the outside, the question hangs over London City’s project: can a squad loaded with big names, bankrolled by a free-spending owner, gel quickly enough to trouble the established powers?
History offers cautionary tales. Superteams that never quite become teams at all. Dressing rooms heavy with stars, light on cohesion. The men’s game has seen it plenty, from Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé at PSG to other expensively assembled sides where the chemistry never clicked.
That risk exists here too. Ambition can be a blessing and a burden.
Yet there is no doubt about the scale of this move. As Sky Sports’ Laura Hunter put it, this is “another coup for London City” and one that “significantly improves them.” Earps is not a marketing signing. She is a competitive upgrade in the one area the numbers screamed needed fixing.
London City wanted a leader, a standard-setter, a player who has lived at the top of the game and still burns for more.
They have one now. The only question is how far, and how fast, they plan to climb with her in goal.
