Liverpool and Tottenham keen on Ko Itakura

Liverpool are keen on signing the Borussia Monchengladbach defender Ko Itakura but will face competition from Tottenham Hotspur, according to a report from Sky Germany.

The 26-year-old has been a reliable performer for Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga and he could prove to be a useful option for the two English clubs.

Liverpool need to sign a quality central defender who can replace Joel Matip next season and the Japanese ace certainly fits the profile. Itakura could be the ideal understudy to players like Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk next season.

Moving to the Premier League would be an exceptional opportunity for the Japanese defender and it would be a step up in his career. He will look to test himself at the highest level and the opportunity to work with a world-class manager like Jurgen Klopp will be an added incentive.

Itakura is in his peak years and this is the right time for him to take the next step in his career and join a club capable of winning major trophies.

Liverpool need more depth in the side in order to compete at the highest level and it will be interesting to see if they can get the deal done.

The report from Sky Germany claims that Jurgen Klopp ‘has his eye’ on the defender and Monchengladbach will want up to £13m [€15m] for his signature in the summer.

Itakura is a long-term target for Ange Postecoglou

That sort of money shouldn’t be a problem for Liverpool, but they’ll face competition from Tottenham as they are also eyeing Itakura as they look to bring in another central defender in the summer.

Although they have Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Radu Dragusin at their disposal, they need more depth in the central defensive unit if they’re to compete on all fronts.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has followed Itakura for a while as he wanted to sign him during his time at Celtic, so it’s no surprise he’s hoping to lure him to North London.

Itakura would improve both squads and it will be interesting to see where he ends up. Both Liverpool and Spurs will be attractive destinations for the player.