Tottenham have announced the signing of teenage Japanese defender Toko Koga from Dutch side Feyenoord.
Koga has agreed a four-year deal with the Women’s Super League (WSL) side and will wear the No. 32 shirt for the 2025-26 season.
The teenager has been playing football in Europe for the past 16 months, after making the move from Japan to the Netherlands in January 2024.
Despite her young age, she already has plenty of experience, with 19 caps for Japan and a match-winning goal against the United States earlier this year.
The 19-year-old said: “I’ve been looking forward to joining the team ever since the transfer was decided.
“I haven’t met my teammates yet but I’ll do my best so that they will get to know me well.
Why has Toko Koga joined Tottenham?
Explaining her decision to join the club she said: “I had wanted to play in England for a long time.
“The WSL is a top-class league and I believe I can grow a lot by competing at that level every week.
“Transferring to the Dutch league helped me to adjust to the environment in Europe. As a footballer, playing in a different environment from Japan, helped me to grow as a player.”
She added: “The environment at Spurs is great and I’m amazed at how big this facility is.”
"I'm really happy to be here." 🤗
TĹŤko Koga đź’¬ pic.twitter.com/kKhNVOQBb8
— Tottenham Hotspur Women (@SpursWomen) July 2, 2025
Who is Toko Koga?
Toko Koga is a promising teenage centre-back from Osaka Japan, who began her career at JFA Academy Fukushima.
The 19-year-old moved to Europe to join Dutch side Feyenoord in January 2024. At Feyenoord, she made 35 appearances and scored three goals, helping the club to a fifth-place finish in the 2024-25 season.
Despite her young age, she already has 19 international caps to her name. In February, she came off the bench to score her country’s winning goal against Emma Hayes’ United States in the SheBelieves Cup.
The BBC report that Tottenham discovered Koga in a pre-season friendly at their training ground last year. The club have since monitored her progress at Feynoord and decided to make their move.
Has Tottenham found a replacement for former manager Robert Vilahamn?
Tottenham’s newest signing Toko Koga joins at a time when the club are yet to announce a replacement for former manager Robert Vilahamn.
Vilahamn was sacked as Tottenham manager last month after a disappointing WSL season.
Tottenham finished second-bottom in the WSL season, with just 20 points from their 22 games.
However, the WSL club are reportedly on the verge of hiring a replacement for Vilahamn.
The Athletic have claimed that Martin Ho, the current head coach of Norwegian side SK Brann, is set to be announced as the new manager.
Ho previously worked as an assistant for WSL sides Everton and Manchester United. He also briefly managed Liverpool Women’s U21 side.
