Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Japan women’s international, Manaka Matsukubo.
While Chelsea did not disclose the transfer fee, Matsukubo has signed a five-year deal with the club. She previously played in the NWSL for the North Carolina Courage.
“I’m so excited to be joining Chelsea, a club with a lot of history,” said Matsukubo. “As a small child, I followed Chelsea because it is a club everyone in the world knows about. The club has a strong history of winning trophies and has done so well at the top of the game, so I couldn’t pass up this opportunity, and I want to help continue this club’s tradition of winning trophies for years to come.”
In the 2025 season, Manaka scored 11 goals and contributed 4 assists; she was named Midfielder of the Year and nominated for Most Valuable Player.
“Thank you so much for the last three years. I had so many great experiences with this club, and I will never forget them. Thank you to my teammates, coaches, staff, and all the fans for always supporting me. I really appreciate everything you did for me. I’m excited for my next challenge, but this club will always be special to me. Thank you again, and I wish everyone all the best,” Manaka said.
Matsukubo can play as an attacking midfielder or a central striker, with her creativity and skilful dribbling making her a threat to any opposition defence.
She made her professional debut for Mynavi Sendai in March 2023 and later that year joined the North Carolina Courage on loan. When the 21-year-old scored three goals against Bay FC in October, Matsukubo became the youngest player in NWSL history to score a hat-trick. In her time at NC Courage, she has scored 19 goals in 60 appearances.
Manaka represented Japan’s U-20 side at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2024, where she scored both goals in a 2-0 victory against the Netherlands. She scored three goals in total and received the Silver Ball as the tournament’s second-best player.
She first received a call-up to Japan’s senior side in October 2024 and officially made her senior international debut on 20 February, 2025. Manaka was substituted in for Maika Hamano during the 4-0 win against Australia at the SheBelieves Cup.
Matsukubo went on to score her first international goal for the senior team on March 14, 2026, against the Philippines in the AFC Women’s Asia Cup, hosted by Australia, which Japan won after defeating Australia 1-0 in the final.
