Japan international Ko Itakura is attracting attention from the Premier League (Picture: Getty Images)
Tottenham and Liverpool are both credited with an interest in Borussia Monchengladbach defender Ko Itakura, who spent time at Manchester City earlier in his career.
The 26-year-old signed for Manchester City back in 2019 from his boyhood club Kawasaki Frontale but never made an appearance for the Premier League champions.
Instead he spent time on loan at Groningen and Schalke, earning himself a move to Gladbach in 2022.
Since then he has impressed in the Bundesliga, largely at centre-back but also capable of playing in holding midfield.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Liverpool have sent scouts to watch the Japan international in action, while Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has long been a fan of the player after tracking him when in charge of Celtic.
Itakura is under contract at Gladbach until 2026 and the report states that he has no release clause in place in the January transfer window.
He has been out of action for Gladbach since October with an ankle injury, but he is in Japan’s squad for this month’s Asian Cup and hopes to feature.
Itakura signed for Borussia Monchengladbach from Manchester City in 2022 (Picture: Getty Images)
Describing the Japanese star when he joined the club, Gladach sporting director Roland Virkus said: ‘Ko covers an unbelievable amount of ground and is a tactically disciplined player who can operate in different positions in defence, including as a No.6.
‘He had a number of attractive options in terms of a transfer, so we’re all the more delighted that he’s decided to join us because he’s a cornerstone of our planning.’
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The 26-year-old has impressed in the Bundesliga.