Maika Hamano: A Rising Star in the Barclays Women’s Super League

Maika Hamano walks into this new Barclays Women’s Super League season looking less like a prospect and more like a problem for opposition defences.

Chelsea’s 22-year-old midfielder, priced at just £5.0m in Fantasy, has been on a sharp upward curve. The Japanese international has already shown she can influence big moments, and this campaign offers her the platform – and the minutes – to turn flashes of talent into something far more sustained.

Chelsea have lost some heavyweight figures over the summer. That opens a door. Hamano is exactly the kind of versatile, intelligent player who can slip through it. Comfortable across multiple positions in midfield and attack, she gives the Blues options between the lines and in the final third, which could make her a vital piece in a slightly reshaped squad.

Last season, her BWSL story barely got going before it was interrupted. She featured in four league matches for Chelsea, scoring her only league goal on the opening day in a 2-1 win over eventual champions Manchester City. Then came January, and a loan across London to Tottenham Hotspur. Ten league appearances there toughened her up, added rhythm to her game and gave her the kind of experience that doesn’t show up on a stat sheet but matters when the pressure rises.

Her trajectory hasn’t just been club-based. On the international stage, Hamano has already delivered in the spotlight. Earlier this year, she struck a stunning winner in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup final, sealing the title for Nadeshiko Japan against Australia on their own turf. It was the kind of goal that changes how people talk about you. Add that to the Golden Ball she collected at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in 2022, and the pattern is clear: when the stakes climb, she doesn’t shrink.

The signs of what might come next were there in pre-season. Back from Spurs and back in blue, Hamano marked her return by scoring in a 7-0 victory over Auckland FC, a neat reminder of what she can do when given trust and a run of games. It wasn’t just a friendly goal; it felt like a statement that she is ready to fight for a central role rather than a supporting one.

For Fantasy managers, that combination of pedigree, price and opportunity is hard to ignore. At £5.0m, she sits in that sweet spot: cheap enough to be a budget enabler, dangerous enough to become a regular points source if her minutes climb. She banked 42 points last season despite limited involvement. With an expanded 2026/27 campaign on the horizon and a realistic shot at more starts, surpassing that tally is not just possible – it feels like the baseline of her ambition.

Chelsea open at Stamford Bridge against Aston Villa on Saturday, September 5.

Hamano has a history of starting seasons fast. If she does it again, those who backed her early could be looking at one of the bargains of the year, while everyone else scrambles to catch up.