The Football Faithful
·18 January 2024
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Yahoo sportsThe Football Faithful
·18 January 2024
Tottenham and Liverpool will be able to sign Borussia Monchengladbach defender Ko Itakura for a fee of between €10m and €15m in the summer window.
Itakura is a reported transfer target for the Premier League clubs as each look to add defensive depth. The Japan international has been a long-term target for Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou, who wanted to bring the defender to former club Celtic.
The 26-year-old is comfortable centrally or at full-back and Liverpool have also been linked with signing Itakura, with the Reds expected to see Joel Matip depart at the end of his contract this summer.
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Itakura – who has missed much of the current Bundesliga campaign with an ankle issue – impressed as Japan reached the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, topping a group containing Spain and Germany to reach the knockout rounds.
The versatile defender previously spent three seasons at Manchester City between 2019 and 2022, though never made a first-team appearance with loan spells at Groningen and Schalke before his €5m move to Monchengladbach.
Sky Germany have revealed that Itakura’s contract contains a release clause of between €10m and €15m (£8.5m – £12.8m) that will become valid in the summer window.