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Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of midfielder Mana Iwabuchi on loan from Women’s Super League rivals Arsenal.
The Japan international midfielder, 29, has moved to Spurs for the rest of the season.
Iwabuchi joined Arsenal in summer 2021 after a short spell at Aston Villa.
However, she has made just three WSL appearances this season and moves to Tottenham seeking first-team action ahead of this summer’s World Cup.
Iwabuchi has scored 37 goals in 85 games for Japan and played a key role in their 2011 World Cup win, and is aiming to be in the squad for the 2023 tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
She moved to English football with Villa in December 2020 from Japanese football, having previously played for Bayern Munich where she won the 2014-15 Frauen-Bundesliga.
Iwabuchi will wear the number 20 shirt for Tottenham, and becomes the club’s second major signing of the winter transfer window, following the arrival of striker Bethany England for a reported WSL-record fee from Chelsea.
Spurs will hope their big-name signings can provoke an upturn in fortunes, as they have lost their last five league matches.
Following the 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa on Saturday, they are eighth in the table with nine points from 10 games.
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