Liverpool have continued their summer recruitment by signing Mao Itamura from Feyenoord, adding one of the most exciting young attacking midfielders to emerge from the Women’s Eredivisie last season.
The 19-year-old arrives after being named the 2025/26 Women’s Eredivisie Player of the Year, a campaign in which she scored eight goals, provided six assists and helped Feyenoord qualify for European football for the first time in the club’s history.
For Liverpool, however, this signing represents more than rewarding an outstanding season in the Netherlands. It is another example of a growing trend among European clubs: identifying players developed through Japan’s renowned football pathway before they reach their peak.
Transfer Snapshot
Player: Mao Itamura
From: Feyenoord
To: Liverpool
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Nationality: Japan
Transfer Status: Permanent
From Japan to Rotterdam—and Now Liverpool
Before making the move to Feyenoord in January 2025, Itamura developed at JFA Academy Fukushima, one of Japan’s most respected talent programmes. The academy has built an international reputation for producing technically gifted players capable of adapting to different tactical environments, making it one of the strongest foundations available to young Japanese footballers.
That pathway should already sound familiar to Feyenoord supporters.
Earlier this summer, the Dutch club returned to the same academy to sign defender Rio Sasaki, another player shaped by JFA Academy Fukushima. While Sasaki has arrived to begin her own journey in Rotterdam, Itamura’s move to Liverpool demonstrates what can happen when players successfully make the transition from Japan to European football.
It also reinforces Feyenoord’s growing willingness to recruit directly from one of Asia’s most productive development systems.
What Kind of Player Have Liverpool Signed?
Mao Itamura is an attacking midfielder who likes to play on the front foot. Her game is built around carrying the ball into dangerous areas, committing defenders and creating moments of uncertainty in the final third. Rather than slowing attacks down, she looks to drive them forward, using her dribbling ability to eliminate opponents and create space for teammates.
That directness is reflected in her own description of her game. Speaking after completing the move, Itamura highlighted dribbling as her biggest strength, explaining that she wants to excite supporters by taking on defenders while contributing with goals and assists.
Those qualities were on full display throughout last season, when she consistently influenced matches for Feyenoord and developed into one of the Eredivisie’s standout attacking players.
A Rapid Rise in Europe
Itamura’s development has been remarkably quick. After arriving at Feyenoord in early 2025, she needed little time to establish herself in the first team before producing a season worthy of the league’s highest individual honour.
Eight goals and six assists only tell part of the story. Her creativity and attacking intelligence helped Feyenoord secure European qualification for the first time, making her one of the driving forces behind one of the club’s most successful campaigns.
That level of impact inevitably attracted interest from larger clubs, and Liverpool have now moved before her value rises even further.
Where Does She Fit at Liverpool?
At just 19 years old, Mao Itamura is unlikely to arrive with the expectation of carrying Liverpool’s attack immediately. Instead, Gareth Taylor appears to have recruited another player capable of growing within a young squad while adding creativity between the lines.
Her willingness to attack defenders, combined with an eye for goal, gives Liverpool another option in advanced midfield areas and provides tactical flexibility as they continue reshaping the squad this summer.
While adapting to the physical demands of the Women’s Super League will present a new challenge, Itamura has already shown she can adjust quickly after leaving Japan for the Netherlands only eighteen months ago. That adaptability may prove just as valuable as her technical ability.
Another Step for Japanese Talent in Europe
Japanese players continue to make a growing impact across Europe’s leading leagues. Technical quality, tactical discipline and strong developmental foundations have made Japan an increasingly attractive recruitment market, with clubs recognising the value of identifying players before they become established internationals.
Liverpool’s move for Itamura fits that trend perfectly. Rather than signing a finished product, they have invested in one of the continent’s fastest-rising young attacking midfielders after a season that suggested she is ready for a bigger stage.
For Feyenoord, meanwhile, the transfer is another example of the club providing a platform for talented players to take the next step in their careers.
Why It Matters
Mao Itamura’s move is another reminder that Japan’s player development system continues to produce footballers capable of succeeding across Europe.
After only a short spell in the Netherlands, she has earned a move to one of England’s biggest clubs on the back of an outstanding breakthrough season.
For Liverpool, the signing brings creativity, dribbling ability and long-term potential. For Feyenoord, it reinforces the club’s growing reputation as a place where talented young players can develop before taking the next step, something supporters have already seen this summer with the arrival of fellow JFA Academy Fukushima graduate Rio Sasaki.
Source: Liverpool