Japan goalkeeper Okuma signs for Aston Villa
Aston Villa has signed 21-year-old Japan goalkeeper Akane Okuma from INAC Kobe Leonessa, subject to visa approval. Okuma was part of Japan's 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup winning squad and joins an existing team-mate from that tournament.
Aston Villa has signed 21-year-old Japan goalkeeper Akane Okuma from Japanese club INAC Kobe Leonessa, according to BBC Sport. The deal is subject to visa approval. Okuma began her senior career at JEF United Chiba before joining INAC Kobe Leonessa in 2024.
Okuma was part of the Japan senior squad that won the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup. She joins existing Villa team-mate Maya Hijikata, who won the same continental tournament with Okuma. Marisa Ewers, Aston Villa's director of women's football, said in a statement, per BBC Sport: "Akane is an exciting young talent with a lot of potential and we're delighted to welcome her to Aston Villa. As a club, we're always looking at opportunities to identify talent in different markets around the world, and we're pleased to bring a player of Akane's profile to Villa." Okuma stated, according to BBC Sport: "I'm very happy to be here. I feel really fortunate to be a part of this club, and I can't wait to play with the team."
Aston Villa finished ninth in the 12-team Women's Super League last season. The WSL is expanding to feature 14 teams in the 2026-27 season, with fixtures scheduled to be released on 30 July.
Okuma, 21, joins Villa as an AFC Women's Asian Cup winner with prior senior experience at INAC Kobe Leonessa since 2024.
Watch for the completion of Okuma's visa approval and her availability for Villa's pre-season and the start of the expanded 2026-27 WSL season. The timing of her clearance will determine whether she can contribute from the opening weekend or faces a delayed debut.
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