Tottenham Hotspur will only play once in the Premier League until the end of January, with the FA Cup third round taking control of English domestic football this weekend.
Granted, that league fixture comes at Old Trafford to face Manchester United, and while the Red Devils have endured a poor campaign thus far, Ange Postecoglou's side will need their wits about them to continue the recent purple patch.
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Having enjoyed a stunning start to the season and taking top spot in the early title race, injuries and absences to key players laid waste to the resurgence and a five-match winless run indeed threatened the very fight for Champions League football – with last year's eighth-place finish keeping the football on the domestic front this term.
While the London club have impressed of late and will further emboldened by the imminent returns of multiple absent stars, it's clear that a defender is needed, with Postecoglou even admitting that signing a centre-half is his "priority" this month.
Spurs transfer targets – January
Spurs technical director Johan Lange has scoured the market for possible additions for the backline over the past several months, with OGC Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo of much attention before transfer guru Fabrizio Romano revealed discussions had collapsed as Spurs desire a swift solution.
Genoa's Radu Dragusin was the new contender for a starring role in the rearguard, and while it has been understood that a deal has inched closer to completion over the past several days, Serie A champions Napoli have rocked the boat with their newly-kindled interest for the £25m-valued defender.
Should Spurs fail to sign the Romanian, advancing their intrigue in Ko Itakura might offer the perfect solution, with Spurs – alongside Liverpool – known to be suitors for the Borussia Monchengladbach star, who is enticed by the thought of moving to the Premier League – according to Caught Offside.
Ko Itakura's style of play
Itakura, aged 26, has been a mainstay in Gladbach's defence since signing from Premier League giants Manchester City for €5m (£4m) in 2022, having spent multiple years out on loan and never broke into the first-team for Pep Guardiola's side.
During his time on City's books – during a loan spell in the Netherlands with Groningen – he was hailed as "one of the very best central defenders in the Eredivisie" by pundit Hans Kraay, who also noted his "incredibly fast" pace.
But since finding a permanent home in the German Bundesliga, the £31k-per-week ace has proven himself to be one of the division's most reliable and dynamic defenders, completing 91% of his passes, winning 62% of his duels and averaging 3.8 clearances per game in the league last season, as per Sofascore.
This season, the 22-cap international sustained an ankle injury in October after scoring twice from seven outings, and while he has yet to feature since, he was named in Japan's squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, hinting that a return to fitness is just around the corner.
To showcase his expansive skill set, the Japan international ranks among the top 12% of central defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 15% for goals scored and the top 7% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.
Such a style would only be welcomed under Postecoglou's guidance, with the Australian displaying a certain proclivity for fluidity in expression in his team.
In 2022, Itakura received praise for his dominant performance for Japan against Brazil's Neymar Jr. in a friendly overture to the World Cup, and while the now Al-Hilal forward scored the only goal in the game from the penalty spot, he was subdued against the lively Itakura, whose manager said: "His contribution was a big part of the reason why the team was able to fight without collapsing.”
He's also established and is at ease on both sides of the central defence, meaning that he could confidently stand in for the left-footed Micky van de Ven when called upon.
Why Spurs should sign Ko Itakura
Waxing lyrical over the 6 foot 1 defender's protean approach to his play, Gladach sporting director Roland Virkus said: "Ko covers an unbelievable amount of ground and is a tactically disciplined player who can operate in different positions in defence, including as a No.6."
Given his goalscoring instinct, ball-playing ability and robustness, Itakura could be the perfect alternative to the titan that is Cristian Romero, who is one of English football's finest defenders but has been available too infrequently of late, with injuries and suspensions hindering his campaign.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Passing
Discipline
Tackling
Dribbling
*Sourced via WhoScored
In the Premier League this season, Romero has scored three goals from 15 appearances, completing 92% of his passes, averaging 5.9 ball recoveries and 3.4 clearances per game and succeeding with a noteworthy 70% of his duels.
Moreover, he ranks among the top 13% of positional peers for goals, the top 5% for tackles, the top 14% for blocks and the top 17% for pass completion and passes attempted per 90.
Speaking of Spurs' revival this season, The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare attributed much of the newfound solidity to the Argentine's leadership, saying: "He makes them (the rest of the back 5 who had never or barely played in the PL) feel like they belong and that they can flourish. He's an outstanding defender, someone you want in your team. Ridiculous bravery."
Much like the Lilywhites centrepiece, Itakura has established himself as a key cog in the Gladbach machine and was hailed a "leading figure" by erstwhile boss Daniel Farke last season.
With Eric Dier attracting attention from Bayern Munich, signing a centre-back makes perfect sense for Tottenham, and Itakura would be the astute addition to really make a difference for this ambitious set of players.
