Liverpool Football Club have completed the signing of attacking midfielder Mao Itamura from Dutch side Feyenoord, marking the club’s fifth acquisition during the current transfer window. The 19-year-old Japanese player joins on a permanent deal and will wear the number 26 shirt.
Itamura arrives at Anfield following an accomplished campaign with Feyenoord in the Women’s Eredivisie, where she was named the league’s player of the season for 2025-26. During that season, she contributed eight goals and six assists to help her previous club qualify for European football for the first time in their history. Her international credentials were further bolstered when she featured in the Japan Under-20s squad that captured the Women’s Asian Cup in April.
The signing comes as part of manager Gareth Taylor’s squad rebuild and represents a replacement for Republic of Ireland international Denise O’Sullivan, who recently moved to Gotham FC on an initial loan arrangement. Itamura becomes Liverpool’s latest addition alongside defenders Vivien Endemann and Mari Ward, midfielder Sara Agrez, and goalkeeper Khiara Keating.
Itamura began her professional career with JFA Academy Fukushima in Japan before making the move to European football when she joined Feyenoord in January 2025. Speaking after her transfer, she expressed her satisfaction with the move, stating that joining Liverpool represented the fulfillment of a long-held ambition to play for the club.