At the halfway mark, it's difficult to judge Ange Postecoglou's success at Tottenham Hotspur so far based on results alone. The former Celtic manager initially got off to an excellent start to put his side in discussions over the Premier League title race, before their first league defeat of the season – a 4-1 loss against Chelsea – saw the wheels start to fall off, due partially to things out of the Aussie's control.
Injuries to key players haven't helped and Spurs' squad depth has been exposed for all to see. That's where the January transfer window could come in, however, with those in North London potentially now turning their attention to a Bundesliga defender after the rumoured move for Radu Dragusin.
Tottenham transfer news
Whilst the likes of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario have all impressed this season, it has quickly become clear that Spurs needed more reinforcements during the summer transfer window.
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Injuries to Van de Ven and Cristian Romero have already forced Postecoglou's hand when it comes to forming makeshift centre-back partnerships and it is something he will hope to avoid in the future. Dragusin's potential arrival should certainly help things, but the Lilywhites could yet look to land one more reinforcement.
Fabrizio Romano told Caught Offside in his Daily Briefing that Spurs know Ko Itakura well and the Borussia Monchengladbach man could be high up on their list once they shift their focus from Dragusin.
The transfer expert said: “Itakura would like a Premier League move one day, and Tottenham know him so well but their focus now remains on Radu Dragusin as mentioned for days. Liverpool have also sent their scouts to follow him multiple times in the last year, so let’s see if some club will try to negotiate with Borussia Monchengladbach now or next summer.”
"Outstanding" Itakura has earned Premier League return
Once securing a move to Manchester City, Itakura never really got his chance in the Premier League before securing a permanent move away from The Etihad in the summer of 2022. Almost two years later, the Japan international could now finally get his chance in England's top flight with a January move, and it would certainly be deserved.
As Itakura's stats show when compared to Romero, Ben Davies and Van de Ven, he'd be more than capable of keeping up with Spurs' current options.
Player
Tackles Per Game
Interceptions Per Game
Aerial Duels Won Per Game
Pass Percentage
Ko Itakura
1.7
1.7
2.1
88.7%
Ben Davies
1.4
0.6
1.9
92.1%
Micky van de Ven
1.6
0.4
1.3
94.6%
Cristian Romero
2.1
1.1
2.1
92.3%
At the centre of praise during his time at Gladbach, Itakura was previously singled out by former boss Daniel Farke, who said via Gladbach's official X account: "Ko Itakura is another important player for us. He is a top character and has become a leading figure, despite only being here a short time. He has been outstanding so far and long may it continue."
With the winter window open, the Gladbach defender could certainly be one to keep an eye on, especially if Spurs conclude a deal to sign Dragusin nice and early.