For our new signing Manaka Matsukubo, playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world and competing in the Champions League was a pull she simply could not ignore.
The 21-year-old Japan international has moved from NC Courage to Chelsea ahead of the new campaign, bringing with her elite levels of technical and tactical quality that will only strengthen Sonia Bompastor’s squad.
Matsukubo’s senior career may still be in its early throes, but she has already achieved so much. At international level, she helped Japan win the SheBelieves Cup last year and the Asian Cup this year, while her displays in North Carolina earned her the NWSL Midfielder of the Year award in 2025.
Having started this season on top form, it would have been easy to maintain the status quo. Instead, Matsukubo has opted to leave for London and Chelsea. Testing herself at the very highest level of the domestic game, where she clearly belongs, is chief among the reasons behind her decision.
‘To play in the Champions League has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl,’ Matsukubo tells us.
‘I’m so excited to be able to achieve that dream. Playing in the Champions League will be the biggest difference to playing in the NWSL. To hear the Champions League song in person will probably make me emotional.
‘I also can’t wait to challenge myself in the WSL, where a lot of the top players have moved to in recent years. There’s a lot of Japanese players in the WSL as well, so I’ve been able to follow it for years. It’s very tough and intense.’
Matsukubo believes the number ten role is the one she occupies best, but she is equally as comfortable leading the line. Receiving the ball in tight spaces and creating chances for others are her standout qualities, she says.
Having lived away from home since she was 13, moving to England offers Matsukubo an exciting opportunity to explore a new country, even if her favourite pastime is relaxing at home.
One of the people who will no doubt help make Matsukubo more comfortable in her new surroundings is Maika Hamano. The pair go back a long way. When Matsukubo first left her home in Kagoshima – bound for the Japan Football Association’s national academy – she met Hamano.
‘We would have elite tournaments and that’s where we started playing together,’ recalls Matsukubo. ‘When we were younger, we always said we wanted to play together for the same team, so I couldn’t give up the opportunity to reunite with Maika.
‘I’ve heard a lot from Maika about Chelsea, the level and the intensity, and I can’t wait to play with her.’
Our Japanese duo will link up in the first season the Blues will be contesting all our WSL matches at Stamford Bridge. That is just one more reason why Matsukubo is so thrilled about what lies in wait.
‘This stadium is very historic,’ she says. ‘To be able to play in front of the big crowds and fans that come to Chelsea is very exciting. I’m so happy to be here.’
The feeling is mutual, that’s for sure. Now the wait to watch Matsukubo in Chelsea blue begins.