Chelsea have completed the signing of midfielder Manaka Matsukubo from North Carolina Courage on a five-year contract.
The Japan international was named National Women's Soccer League Midfielder of the Year last season and is widely regarded as one of the most talented young players in world football.
The 21-year-old scored 11 goals last season and five in nine games this campaign, whilst her three goals against Bay FC in October made her the youngest player in NWSL history to score a hat trick.
Matsukubo was a part of the Japan team that finished runners-up at both the 2022 and 2024 Under-20 World Cups, receiving the Silver Ball award for her performances in the latter tournament.
"I'm so excited to be joining Chelsea, a club with a lot of history," she said in a statement. "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."
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