Tottenham can land Borussia Monchengladbach defender Ko Itakura for a paltry £13m this summer

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a decent summer transfer window thus far but there are a few areas in the squad that still require addressing.

While the Lilywhites signed centre-back Radu Dragusin from Genoa in the January transfer window, Eric Dier also exited, joining Bayern Munich in the process. Having not invested in a new centre-back this summer, Ange Postecoglou currently has Radu Dragusin, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero in his roster which isn’t quite enough to tackle the gruelling 2024/25 campaign.

The lack of depth in central defence is concerning for Tottenham. A budgetary versatile defender who can play in multiple positions may appeal to Spurs before the window slams shut.

Borussia Monchengladbach defender Ko Itakura has been linked with Tottenham for some time now. The north Londoners were interested in signing Ko Ikatura last summer but a move didn’t materialise. Reports in January also indicated that Ange Postecoglou and the club were planning to bring the Japanese defender to N17.

Spurs’ interest in the Borussia Monchengladbach defender hasn’t yet transformed into a bid across the last two transfer windows.

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However, according to a report from Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, PSV Eindhoven have shifted their focus towards landing Ko Itakura after failing to sign Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg. The 27-year-old has just £13m release clause written in his contract with Gladbach, and PSV now view him as a cheaper alternative to Liverpool’s Van den Berg.

Itakura could be on the move before the end of the month after spending two years with Gladbach. Interestingly, he was a Manchester City player a few years ago but never got a chance to play under Pep Guardiola. After successful loan spells with FC Groningen and FC Schalke, Man City decided to sell him to Gladbach where he has performed well in two seasons amid some injury issues.

Ange Postecoglou is an admirer of Itakura and tried to sign him for Celtic in 2021, having known him from his own time at Japanese side Yokohama F Marinos. He failed in doing so but that didn’t discourage him. A year later, the Greek-Australian again looked to bring the Japan international to Parkhead, but Man City decided to sell him to Gladbach.

Postecoglou’s interest in Itakura has been reflected through Spurs as well in the last two transfer windows. A central defender by trade, the ex-Schalke man can also operate in defensive midfield which should appeal to the north London outfit.

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With the central defender’s release clause set at £13m, Spurs must look to beat PSV Eindhoven to his signature by hook or crook. Bringing the Gladbach star in for a paltry fee as a fourth-choice central defender would be an extremely smart move from our club, thus landing one of Postecoglou’s main targets.