Aston Villa Signs Japanese Goalkeeper Akane Okuma
WSL Full-Time reports that Aston Villa has officially announced the signing of Japanese international goalkeeper Akane Okuma through a club press release this morning.
The 21-year-old goalkeeper joins Aston Villa from INAC Kobe Leonessa, a club in Japan’s SOMPO WE League. During her tenure with the team, Okuma consistently performed at a high level, helping lead the club to a runner-up finish in the SOMPO WE League for the 2024/2025 season. The team also narrowly missed out on both the WE League Cup and Empress’s Cup that same year, but they claimed the league title last season.
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On the international front, Okuma has recently made her mark in Japan’s senior squad, earning four caps to date. She was part of the Nadeshiko team that won the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup and has a history of involvement in the youth national teams throughout her early career.
After finalizing her transfer to Aston Villa, Okuma expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “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.”
Okuma becomes Aston Villa’s seventh signing in what is shaping up to be an active transfer window for the club.