Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is reportedly on the hunt to sign a centre-back he targeted whilst manager of Celtic.
Just like when he was with the Hoops, Postecoglou hasn’t wasted any time in getting deals over the line for Spurs this January.
Ange has already swooped to sign RB Leipzig speedster Timo Werner on loan to help cover for Son Heung-min – who is currently on Asian Cup duty with South Korea – and £26.7m defender Radu Dragusin from Genoa.
And according to a report from Sky Germany, Postecoglou is now seeking a former Manchester City defender for Spurs who, instead of making a move to Celtic, signed for Schalke 04 and then Borussia Mochengladbach in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
Ko Itakura wanted by Ange Postecoglou
The man in question is Ko Itakura, a name some Celtic fans will probably remember. In May 2022, Sky Sports reported that Itakura was being ‘monitored’ by Bhoys boss Ange Postecoglou.
The central defender was 25 at the time and was on his way out of Manchester City after three failed years at the Etihad.
Pep Guardiola had signed him for around £1m from Kawasaki Frontale in 2019 but Itakura didn’t kick a single Premier League ball for City.
He was also linked to Celtic when Postecoglou first arrived in Glasgow but in the end, a deal never materialised because Itakura eventually switched to Monchengladbach for £4.3m.
Transfer guru Fabrizo Romano confirmed on 1 January that Itakura was indeed someone Celtic were looking to sign under Ange, with Liverpool and Spurs now interested in his services.
However, Sky Germany state that the North Londoners may be more inclined to swoop for Itakura in the summer because that’s when his reported £13m release clause kicks in.
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