Tottenham and Liverpool are currently monitoring a player previously sold by Manchester City in 2022. According to Fabrizio Romano, Ko Itakura, who was offloaded by Manchester City to Borussia Mönchengladbach in July 2022 for a mere £5 million, is now drawing interest from Liverpool and Tottenham.
In January 2019, Manchester City acquired Itakura for just £1 million from Kawasaki Frontale, subsequently loaning him to FC Groningen and Schalke 04. Despite being in the club’s youth ranks, the 26-year-old defender never had a chance to feature for Manchester City.
Now, with Jürgen Klopp and Ange Postecoglou displaying interest, Itakura might be gearing up to compete against Manchester City in the Premier League, potentially joining either Liverpool or Tottenham, as per Romano.
According to reports, Liverpool has sent scouts to watch Itakura on multiple occasions. This season, the Yokohama-born defender has made seven Bundesliga appearances and scored two goals.
Liverpool and Tottenham’s keen interest in Itakura suggests that Manchester City might have made an error in letting him go. However, it also reflects positively on the City Football Group’s recruitment strategies, showcasing the potential of securing promising talents at a minimal cost.
The interest shown by top managers like Klopp and Postecoglou underscores the need for clubs to consider extending loan periods for such promising players instead of sanctioning permanent departures, whenever possible.
