Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly identified Borussia Monchengladbach‘s Ko Itakura as a possible defensive target for the January window.
Since taking the reins from Antonio Conte, Ange Postecoglou has successfully implemented a four-man defensive system, pairing Cristian Romero with new signing Micky van de Ven.
The duo have formed one of the most effective central pairings in the 2023-24 season to date, helping Spurs keep four clean sheets during their record-breaking start to the campaign.
With 26 points from their opening 10 matches, Spurs are two clear of Manchester City and Arsenal – the latter of whom are the only other unbeaten team in the top flight – at the top of the table, thanks in no small part to their new defensive setup.
Van de Ven’s £43m acquisition from Wolfsburg has proven to be a shrewd move, and the Lilywhites also planned for the future by poaching 18-year-old Ashley Phillips from Blackburn Rovers.
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Van de Ven and Phillips’s arrivals opened the door for Davinson Sanchez to join Galatasaray in a permanent deal, while Joe Rodon and Japhet Tanganga were loaned to Leeds United and Augsburg respectively.
Spurs could still try to bolster their rearguard further next year, as the out-of-favour Eric Dier has entered the final year of his contract and will likely be allowed to depart as a free agent next summer.
According to Fichajes, Tottenham could once again turn to the Bundesliga market to reinforce their backline in January, and Itakura has emerged as a mid-season target.
The 26-year-old spent three-and-a-half seasons on the books at Manchester City, but he failed to make a single appearance and joined Monchengladbach for a mere €5m (£4.4m) in the summer of 2022.
Despite failing to make the grade at Man City, Itakura has found his feet in the Bundesliga with Monchengladbach, scoring twice and setting up two more goals in 33 matches for the club.
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The 6ft 2in centre-back – who can also play as a defensive midfielder scored in two of his opening three matches of the 2023-24 Bundesliga season against Augsburg and Bayern Munich, but he has missed their last two games with an ankle injury.
Itakura has also won 22 caps for the Japan national team and made three starts at the 2022 World Cup, although he missed their penalty-shootout exit to Croatia in the last 16 through suspension.
The report states that the 26-year-old could be tempted by the lure of the Premier League, but Monchengladbach are under no pressure to sell, as his contract runs until the end of the 2025-26 season.
While most of their rivals prepare for EFL Cup duty this week, Tottenham – who lost to Fulham in the second round – have a full week to ready themselves for next Monday’s tantalising London derby with Chelsea in the Premier League, which will see Mauricio Pochettino reunite with his former employers.
