Maika Hamano: How Spurs Is The Perfect Fit

Maika Hamano signs for Spurs on loan

A Fresh Chance To Shine

After spending a season mostly riding the bench of Chelsea's supremely strong women's team, a move for 21-year-old Maika Hamano, the Osaka-raised attacker, has been somewhat of a given. Given her immense potential and experience with Chelsea, winning multiple WSL titles and playing with some of the most talented players in world football, her name was no doubt on many transfer target lists, especially in the WSL.

Reinvented Martin Ho's Tottenham, having raided the Scandinavian leagues for talent this January, namely Signe Gauspert, have been massively ruthless with their business, perhaps at cause of new CEO Vinai Venkatesham from Arsenal, who saw massive success regarding their women's team during his time there. Under Daniel Levy's tenure, it did feel that Tottenham's Women's team was somewhat abandoned and left to their own devices.

Martin Ho leads team out this season

Ho's Youthful Spurs Starlets

With this wave of young talent finding their way to North London this January, Maika Hamano's addition surprisingly comes as no surprise, given their impressive push for the top 4 places in the WSL this season. Their playstyle heavily favours players with intricate skills and passing abilities, opting for small passing patterns and many attacking midfielders; Olivia Holdt being a prime example, and of course, Maika Hamano herself.

Ho also opts for a high press, utilising Bethany England's immense work rate to lead their defence from attack. Hamano again slots well into this part of Tottenham's system, making her seem like almost a perfect fit for the second half of what's proving to be a mammoth of a season for this exciting Tottenham side.

Tottenham's Osaka Entourage

What's perhaps overlooked in football is personal connections between teammates, which Hamano has in abundance with fellow Osaka-born Spurs player, Toko Koga. The two seemingly knew each other from their previous careers in Japan, with Koga even appearing during Maika's behind the scenes signing video and embracing Tottenham's new signing.

It will be interesting whether Spurs can fashion a permanent deal for Hamano at the end of her loan spell, assuming she succeeds in North London. She, together with Koga and Spurs's other young talents, would no doubt spearhead Tottenham into a new era under Martin Ho, brimming with exciting, intricate players and potential to be Champions League regulars.