Ko Itakura is one of the key players for FC Schalke 04 in the current second division season. First as a central defender and now as a defensive midfielder, he ensures a lot of stability in Gelsenkirchen’s build-up game. Ahead of Saturday’s top game against Werder Bremen, Itakura clarified what goals he has set for the Royal Blues.
“Schalke is definitely a club that belongs in the Bundesliga,” said the Japanese in an interview with “spox.com“. In the current season he played 27 games for the Knappen in the 2nd Bundesliga, scoring four goals.
The race for the two direct promotion places is complicated and still completely open, “but returning to the Bundesliga was and is our big goal. We all believe in that,” emphasized Itakura, who switched from FC Groningen to the Ruhr area last summer.
FC Schalke has a purchase option in the event of promotion
The 25-year-old’s home club is actually Manchester City, for which Itakura has not played a single competitive game since his arrival over three years ago.
On the contrary: Should FC Schalke actually make it clear that they are promoted directly to the Bundesliga, the miners have an option to buy their regular player. According to media reports, the defensive man could then be committed for a reported six million euros.
In the interview, he made no secret of the fact that the 14-time Japanese international sees his future at Schalke in the long term: “Of course I can imagine staying here. Schalke is a big club with a long history and great fans. Playing in front of such a breathtaking backdrop is every player’s dream.”
Itakura emphasized the great development potential he sees at the club. “My long-term goal is to play in the first division – and I would like to achieve that with Schalke this season,” he added.
For himself, he also dreams of his first World Cup participation with the Japanese national team in Qatar at the end of the year.