Report: Tottenham pondering cut-price move for 'incredibly fast' defender likened to Jan Vertonghen

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Tottenham Hotspur are currently in the midst of a major defensive crisis that has seen all four of their senior centre-backs ruled out.

Tottenham went into the Nottingham Forest fixture with just one senior centre-back, Radu Dragusin, who ended up having to come off in the 1-0 defeat.

Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero remain on the sidelines, while Ben Davies has suffered a setback and will be out for some more weeks.

The situation is so bad that Ange Postecoglou hasn’t ruled out the possibility of Yves Bissouma playing at centre-back, while Alfie Dorrington could potentially be drafted in.

With the January transfer window set to open in the coming days, Postecoglou has the opportunity to make some reinforcements at the back.

And according to one report, the Tottenham boss is thinking of rekindling his interest in an “incredibly fast” defender who has been likened to Jan Vertonghen.

READ MORE: Tottenham are the team who have committed the biggest transfer blunder of 2024

Tottenham pondering potential cut-price move for Ko Itakura

The player in question is Borussia Monchengladbach centre-back Ko Itakura, who was said to be a target for Spurs over a year ago.

Sky Sports Germany reported that Tottenham were eyeing Itakura back in the summer of 2023.

Now, GiveMeSport have claimed that Tottenham are beginning to seriously consider rekindling their interest in Itakura, whose contract expires at the end of next season.

Spurs have reportedly refused to rule out the prospect of launching a formal proposal for Itakura, even though he has not been pinpointed as their first-choice recruit at this stage.

Crucially, Postecoglou is aware that there is a possibility of being able to negotiate a cut-price agreement if Itakura doesn’t commit his long-term future to Gladbach, added the report.

Ko Itakura factfile

Itakura has been playing at Borussia Monchengladbach since 2022, when he made a permanent €5million (£4.3million) move from Manchester City.

The Bundesliga website, in a feature article they wrote in 2023, shared quotes from Gladbach sporting director Roland Virkus about Itakura.

"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," he said.

"He had a number of attractive options in terms of a transfer, so we're all the more delighted that he's decided to join us because he's a cornerstone of our planning."

The Bundesliga website also likened the reported Tottenham target to Jan Vertonghen, one of the best defenders Spurs have had this century.

"Rangy and quick over the ground, Itakura makes defending look easy," they wrote.

"In theory right-footed but comfortable enough on the ball to have regularly played as the left-sided centre-half, he is similar in style to Benfica's former Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen."

Described as 'incredibly fast' by analyst Hans Kraay Jr, as quoted by FCG Fans, Itakura seems like he would be a solid squad option should Tottenham make a move.