Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly entered the race to sign Borussia Monchengladbach's Ko Itakura this summer, with Napoli also interested in the centre-back.
The 26-year-old made the switch from Manchester City to the Bundesliga outfit in July 2022 for a fee of around £4.2m, and has since been a regular in the Monchengladbach side.
Itakura did not make a first-team appearance for Pep Guardiola's Citizens despite being contracted to the club for over three years, with the defender being loaned out to Groningen and Schalke during that time.
Performances in 2.Bundesliga for the Royal Blues in 2021-22 earned the Japan international a move to the German top flight last season, during which he featured in 24 league matches for Die Fohlen as they finished 10th.
According to Get Football News Germany, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in bringing Itakura to the Premier League this summer, although the Lilywhites face stern competition for the centre-back's signature.
The report adds that Serie A champions Napoli have made the defender a priority signing ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, in the knowledge that Kim Min-jae is set for a move to Bayern Munich.
The South Korean was a key part of the Partenopei side who eased to their first Italian title this century, starting 35 Serie A matches under the stewardship of Luciano Spalletti.
Despite being keen on Itakura, it is understood that the Japanese defender is not Ange Postecoglou's preferred signing, with Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven top of the Australian's shopping list.
The former Celtic boss will be looking to implement his forward-thinking style of play in North London but also realises the importance of defensive solidity, with only five Premier League clubs conceding more than Spurs' 63 goals last season.
Tottenham have already made significant moves in the transfer window this summer, completing the signings of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski from Leicester City and Juventus respectively.
Changes are also upon the Lilywhites in the goalkeeping department with the arrival of Empoli stopper Guglielmo Vicario, following the confirmation that Hugo Lloris wishes to move away for a new challenge.
It is understood that Postecoglou currently views Itakura as a backup option should the club be unable to secure the services of Dutchman Van de Ven, and a concrete move for the Monchengladbach defender would see Spurs battle Champions League-bound Napoli.
After a poor end to the campaign following the sacking of Antonio Conte, Tottenham finished eighth in the Premier League, meaning they failed to earn any form of European football for next season.
Postecoglou's takes charge of his first match as boss of the North Londoners when they face West Ham United in Perth as part of their Asia-Pacific tour. body check tags ::
