While Tottenham Hotspur have been rather active in the transfer window so far – with Manor Solomon becoming the fifth signing of the summer – it looks as if Ange Postecoglou is set to press on with further additions, as part of his summer squad overhaul.
Amid reports that the likes of Joe Rodon, Japhet Tanganga and Davinson Sanchez could be on their way – with Clement Lenglet having returned to Barcelona – new recruits at the heart of the defence are seemingly a necessity, with the new Spurs boss no doubt hoping to improve a backline that conceded 63 league goals last term.
That search for quality replacements at centre-back has seen the Lilywhites focus on both Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven of late, with Fabrizio Romano having stated that the club are "advancing" in their negotiations for the latter man.
That being said, however, there also said to be possible concerns over the Wolfsburg man's potential price tag, with journalist Ben Jacobs stating that the north Londoners could even "abandon" their pursuit of the 22-year-old as a result.
Alternative targets could need to be considered, hence why turning to Borussia Monchengladbach's Ko Itakura could be a wise move, with reports in Germany stating that the 26-year-old is of interest to those at N17.
The versatile defender – who can also feature in midfield – was believed to be the subject of interest from Postecoglou during his time at Celtic, having been linked with a move to the Hoops in both 2021 and 2022, prior to joining his current side.
If the Greek-Aussie can finally get his hands on the Japanese international this time around, he could represent a dream alternative to Van de Ven…
Who is Ko Itakura?
There has been much talk around the "crazy" speed of Van de Ven – as hailed by Ruben Jongkind – although Itakura also seemingly possesses remarkable recovery speed, having been described as "incredibly fast" in the past by pundit, Hans Kraay.
Once lauded the "one of the very best central defenders in the Eredivisie" by Kraay during his time in the Netherlands with FC Groningen, the 6 foot 2 machine was also previously on the books at Manchester City, albeit without ever making an appearance for the Etihad outfit.
As for the most recent campaign, the Yokohama-born rock appeared to enjoy a better season in the Bundesliga than that of Van de Ven, having shown his defensive strength after averaging 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game from his 24 league outings, while also winning 62% of his total duels.
The young Dutchman, by contrast, averaged only 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game from his 33 appearances in the German top-flight and won just 60% of his total duels, while the 6 foot 4 brute's average match rating of 6.85, as per Sofascore, was far below that of his Gladbach counterpart (7.01).
While Van de Ven's ability to play out from the back ensures that has performed better over the last 365 days with regard to progressive carries per 90 (1.30 v 0.86) and successful take-ons per 90 (0.58 v 0.36), Itakura is certainly no liability on the ball, ranking in the top 7% for pass completion among his European peers – with the Wolfsburg man ranking in just the top 27% in that regard.
The fact that Itakura has also performed so impressively of late should make him a wise defensive alternative for Postecoglou, with it clear to see why the Spurs boss has been keeping close tabs on the £31k-per-week ace since his days in charge at Parkhead.