Goodbye Magic Manaka
The link on the Courage homepage does not work...From the club's email:
The North Carolina Courage have agreed to transfer midfielder Manaka Matsukubo to Chelsea F.C. of the Barclays Women’s Super League for an agreed-upon fee, the clubs jointly announced on Friday.
Manaka, who was set to become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2026 NWSL season, had a clause in her contract requiring the Courage to approve any transfer at or above a particular threshold.
Manaka joined the club on loan from Mynavi Sendai during the 2023 season, before the move was made permanent in June 2024. The midfielder made an immediate impact upon arrival, being named the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup Final MVP following her crucial goal in the Courage’s repeat win of the midseason tournament.
Across three years at the club, Manaka made 58 regular season appearances, scoring 19 goals and adding 10 assists. Manaka departs the Courage with the fourth-most regular season goals in club history, while ranking tied for ninth in assists and fourth for overall goal contributions.
Manaka was named NWSL Midfielder of the Year in 2025 and made the league’s Best XI after finishing third in the Golden Boot race with 11 goals.
Thank you for everything, Manaka! You will always be a part of Courage Country!