Tottenham Hotspur Women have this evening confirmed the signing of Arsenal’s Mana Iwabuchi on loan for the remainder of the season.
Like Spurs’ first January arrival Bethany England, the Tokyo-born midfielder joins the club with an illustrious pedigree and a wealth of experience at the highest level, something substantially lacking throughout the rest of the team.
Indeed, 29-year-old Iwabuchi is a World Cup winner, having won it with Japan against the USA back in 2011, and has a wealth of Champions League experience following her stint with Bayern Munich, a time that included two Bundesliga winners’ medals. One of these medals came after an unbeaten domestic season with the Bavarian giants in the 2014/15 season.
After scoring on her Champions League debut for the Gunners after joining them from Aston Villa in 2021, things haven’t quite worked out for Iwabuchi after Jonas Eidevall took over from the manager who signed her, Joe Montemurro.
As per 90Min, Iwabuchi has only played 121 minutes of football for Arsenal this season, so if she exhibits a bit of rustiness, it should not come unexpectedly. Nevertheless, Iwabuchi’s credentials speak for herself, and having a player of such quality in our midfield is a timely boost to a side that is floundering in the Women’s Super League, having lost five successive league matches, the latest of which coming on Saturday at Aston Villa.
Once Iwabuchi is up to speed, one therefore expects that she would become one of the first names on the team sheet.
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