Eintracht Frankfurt prioritise Auxerre’s Clément Akpa over Ko Itakura | OneFootball

L’Équipe reports that Eintracht Frankfurt are more interested in acquiring Auxerre centre-back Clément Akpa than Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Ko Itakura. The Bundesliga’s RheinMainAdler have been linked with a late swoop for Itakura, but Ajax remain in pole position to acquire the Japanese international.

Eintracht’s pursuit of Itakura remains a problematic undertaking. Gladbach wish to obtain top dollar for their talent and Itakura himself is reported to prefer a move to the Eredivisie. With an estimated market value of €5m, Akpa could serve as a lower-stress, lower-cost alternative.

Frankfurt remain in need of a new centre-back following the departure of club mainstay Tuta to Qatari outfit Doha club Al-Duhail SC. Should exit links surrounding Auréle Amenda prove founded, Eintracht will be left with fewer trained central defenders in their squad.

Nnamdi Collins and Arthur Theate are centre-backs by trade, but have often served on the flanks under head coach Dino Toppmöller. That leaves German international Robin Koch and Croatian central defender Hrvoje Smolcic, who recently failed an Anderlecht medical.

Akpa recently completed a successful season for his Ligue 1 outfit in which he made 32 appearances across all competitions and increased his estimated market value from €800,000 to €5m. The 23-year-old also earned his second senior cap for Cote d’Ivoire.

Akpa may very well fit Frankfurt’s profile considering the fact that he can be deployed flexibly as a left back or higher up the left wing in midfield. This would enable Theate and Koch to form the central defensive partnership.

The loss of Tuta nevertheless still can’t easily be compensated for. The Brazilian took on plenty of shifts as a right-back and often worked as a holding six or sweeper in defensive midfield.

GGFN | Peter Weis