Sky Germany report that Tottenham Hotspur have joined Napoli in the race to sign Borussia Mönchengladbach and Japan defender Ko Itakura.
The central-defender only joined Gladbach from Manchester City last summer for €5m, but his performances in what was a disappointing season for Die Fohlen has attracted interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs. Serie A champions Napoli have identified Itakura as a replacement for Kim-Min jae, who is expected to join Bayern Munich imminently. In the market for a replacement, the Partenopei are also monitoring the situation of Union Berlin’s Danilho Doekhi.
And now, Tottenham are the latest club to show an interest in Itakura. But like Napoli, the Premier League side are also monitoring other targets. It would appear that Wolfsburg’s Mickey van de Ven is Ange Postecoglou’s preferred candidate for central-defence, with Itakura a Plan B.
But Borussia Mönchengladbach can ill-afford to allow Itakura to leave. The Foals have already lost Ramy Bensebaini on a free transfer and with 12 months remaining on his current deal, Nico Elvedi could yet leave the club which would leave Gerardo Seoane short in defence. Whatever happens, BMG Sporting Director Roland Virkus has an immense job on his hands to rebuild the squad following key departures and expiring contracts.
