England U23 international Ashanti Akpan has joined Southampton FC on a season-long loan from Chelsea.
The 19-year-old midfielder joined the Blues at the age of seven and has risen through the ranks at the English champions. She won the FA Youth Cup and WSL Academy Cup before making her debut in March 2023. A first professional contract followed in December before spending the 2024/2025 season on loan at Birmingham City.
During her time in the Midlands, Akpan made 15 appearances in all competitions, culminating in securing second place in the Barclays Championship and just missing out on promotion.
“I’m very excited for the season ahead,” Akpan said. “I feel like another season in the [second tier] will do me a lot of good and allow me to improve a lot as a player. I’m really excited to play in front of the fans at St Mary’s, it will be nice to hear the crowd behind us because I think the support throughout the season will be really important for us.”
Photo credit: Southampton FC
