He was instrumental in the rise of Schalke. Now Ko Itakura should probably join a new club in the Bundesliga.
According to media reports, defender Ko Itakura is facing a change within the Bundesliga. As the TV stations “Sky” and “Sport1” reported on their online portals late Friday evening, the 25-year-old Japanese completed a medical check-up at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The central defender, who was loaned from English champions Manchester City to newly promoted FC Schalke 04 last season, is said to agree with the Gladbachers and will be going to the training camp at Tegernsee next week.
Contract until 2026
According to “Sport1”, the Japanese should receive a contract until 2026. A transfer fee of four to five million euros to star coach Pep Guardiola’s club is under discussion. In Manchester, Itakura still has a contract until June 30, 2023.
He played 32 games for Schalke and scored four goals. Itakura was almost always in the starting XI and developed into a top performer. The Royal Blues would have liked to keep the Japanese, but the sum was too high for the club. Now Gladbach has probably secured the services.