Tottenham ‘impressed’ by defender Man City couldn’t make room for, as source confirms ‘he will be monitored’
Borussia Monchengladbach players Franck Honorat and Ko Itakura
Tottenham Hotspur reportedly remain interested in Borussia Monchengladbach defender Ko Itakura, who used to be on the books at Manchester City.
News originally shared by Dean Jones has been gathering momentum and several outlets are picking up on the idea that Itakura could be an option for Tottenham to strengthen their defence with as they ponder a January departure for Eric Dier.
Writing for Give Me Sport earlier this week, TEAMtalk correspondent Jones revealed that Itakura’s skillset has ‘impressed members of the recruitment team’ at Tottenham.
Although Itakura is currently shaking off an injury, ‘he will be monitored’ by Tottenham once he recovers, Jones confirmed.
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The news of Tottenham’s interest has been spreading and it would certainly be an interesting transfer if it was to materialise. Itakura never got the chance to make his Premier League debut for Man City, spending most of his time with the club out on loan with Groningen and Schalke.
He has rebuilt his career in Germany and has been with Borussia Monchengladbach since the start of last season. They still have him under contract until 2026, but might be bracing themselves for interest from potential suitors like Spurs.
So far, Ange Postecoglou has largely relied upon Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven to be his main centre-backs. Van de Ven has been a success since his arrival from the Bundesliga, where he played for Wolfsburg, so perhaps Itakura could follow suit.
Itakura can cover two roles
The fact he is also able to operate as a defensive midfielder could make him useful. As stated, Dier could leave Tottenham after failing to find space under Postecoglou, and centre-back and holding midfield are the two roles he plays in.
Furthermore, Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are expected to go to the Africa Cup of Nations with their respective countries over the winter, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is being linked with an exit from Tottenham too.
Primarily, though, they would be viewing Itakura as a target for their defence, where Jones revealed they are also interested in Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah, Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.
Indeed, there is no indication yet that Tottenham are tabling an offer for Itakura, but the 26-year-old appears to be a player to keep an eye on at least.
