‘INCREDIBLY FAST’ PLAYER HAS DECIDED NOT TO JOIN TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

‘INCREDIBLY FAST’ PLAYER HAS DECIDED NOT TO JOIN TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Ange Postecoglou wanted to sign Ko Itakura when he was in charge of Celtic, so there was no surprise when the Japanese star was linked with Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month.

According to Sky Germany on July 7, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Ko Itakura from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer transfer window.
The report claimed interest in the Japan international central defender from Serie A champions Napoli as well.

Sky Germany reported at the time that Itakura could leave Monchengladbach this summer.

However, it has now emerged that Itakura will not join Tottenham or Napoli in the summer transfer window.

Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg has reported on Twitter that Itakura has decided to stay at Monchengladbach.

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Plettenberg has claimed that the former Manchester City prospect will not move to another club this summer.

Described as an “incredibly fast” defender who “can head well” by former Brighton and Hove Albion and NAC Breda defender Hans Kraay Jr. (Fcgfans.nl, March 9, 2018), Itakura has rejected Napoli as well as Al-Hilal, according to the Sky Germany journalist.

Ko Itakura transfer blow for Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou
Itakura’s stance on his future will come as a blow for new Tottenham head coach Postecoglou.

The Daily Record reported in 2021 that Postecoglou wanted to sign the former FC Groningen loanee, but he ended up joining Schalke on loan instead.

The Australian manager was then in charge of Celtic in Scotland.

Itakura made the switch to Monchengladbach from Manchester City on a permanent deal in the summer of 2022 for €5 million (£4.5 million), as reported by The Manchester Evening News at the time.

And it seems Postecoglou, who managed Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan from 2018 until 2021, will miss out on signing the defender once again.

Itakura made 22 starts and two substitute appearances in the Bundesliga last season.

The defender gave two assists in those games.

‘Very worried’: Journalist says a ‘very good contact’ at Spurs has told him Daniel Levy has one huge concern
Daniel Levy is very worried about the idea of Ange Postecoglou taking charge of a Tottenham squad that doesn’t have Harry Kane in it.

That’s what Dean Jones has heard from a very good contact at Tottenham.

Speaking on The Done Deal Show, Jones was speaking about the view within Tottenham about Harry Kane’s future, and he says that Levy is worried about the idea of what Postecoglou will do if he loses the striker.

As we all know, Ange Postecoglou has no Premier League experience to his name, but the prevailing view is that it shouldn’t be too difficult for him to adapt if he has Kane leading his line.

The Shocking Downfall of the German National Team
As we all know, Ange Postecoglou has no Premier League experience to his name, but the prevailing view is that it shouldn’t be too difficult for him to adapt if he has Kane leading his line.

England v North Macedonia: Group C – UEFA EURO 2024 Qualifying Round

Photo by Michael Regan – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Levy worried about Ange if Kane leaves
Jones shares what he’s heard about Levy

“In February, I have a very good contact at Tottenham who said for the first time that Daniel Levy was considering selling him this summer because he can’t stand the idea of losing him for free,” Jones said.

“It came to the back end of the season and I spoke to him again and he said he doesn’t think he’ll let him go, and he said he’s stubborn, he doesn’t want to lose Harry Kane and he’s very very worried about the fact that they have a new manager coming in with no Premier League experience and that Kane wouldn’t be there to see that period through. There’s no stability left at the club and where these goals will come from or how you will replace him.”

The Shocking Downfall of the German National Team
As we all know, Ange Postecoglou has no Premier League experience to his name, but the prevailing view is that it shouldn’t be too difficult for him to adapt if he has Kane leading his line.

England v North Macedonia: Group C – UEFA EURO 2024 Qualifying Round

Photo by Michael Regan – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Levy worried about Ange if Kane leaves
Jones shares what he’s heard about Levy

“In February, I have a very good contact at Tottenham who said for the first time that Daniel Levy was considering selling him this summer because he can’t stand the idea of losing him for free,” Jones said.

“It came to the back end of the season and I spoke to him again and he said he doesn’t think he’ll let him go, and he said he’s stubborn, he doesn’t want to lose Harry Kane and he’s very very worried about the fact that they have a new manager coming in with no Premier League experience and that Kane wouldn’t be there to see that period through. There’s no stability left at the club and where these goals will come from or how you will replace him.”

Daniel Levy
Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images
Worrying
In all honesty, Daniel Levy is right to be worried about this possibility.

If Kane goes what do you have at Tottenham? A squad full of players unproven at this level working under a manager who has never overseen a game in a top five European league, that’s a recipe for disaster.

Even the players you would expect to be able to trust such as Heung-Min Son and James Maddison have question marks over them. After all, Son was terrible last season and Maddison is adapting to a new club.

Losing Kane for the beginning of the Postecoglou era could truly be a disaster.

‘Different type of pressure’: BBC pundit suggests 26-year-old could crumble at Tottenham now

Nigel Reo-Coker has questioned James Maddison’s ability to deal with the pressure of playing for Tottenham Hotspur.

Speaking on the BBC Radio Five Live Football Daily Podcast, the pundit was discussing the arrival of Maddison at Spurs, and while he was excited about the idea of Maddison playing for the north London club, he did have some reservations.

The Shocking Downfall of the German National Team
Leicester City v West Ham United – Premier League

Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images
Maddison could crumble
Reo-Coker gave his verdict on the 26-year-old.

“Maddison is a great signing, but does he really have that strength of character to understand what it takes to play for Tottenham? It’s a different type of pressure and there is a greater expectation, he’s coming as a difference maker, he has to take them to another level,” Reo-Coker said.

“He is a good signing if he performs week in week out, but my thing is this, does he have the character to handle that kind of pressure. How determined is he going to be to stay fit and stay healthy and perform week in week out.”

The Shocking Downfall of the German National Team
Leicester City v West Ham United – Premier League

Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images
Maddison could crumble
Reo-Coker gave his verdict on the 26-year-old.

“Maddison is a great signing, but does he really have that strength of character to understand what it takes to play for Tottenham? It’s a different type of pressure and there is a greater expectation, he’s coming as a difference maker, he has to take them to another level,” Reo-Coker said.

“He is a good signing if he performs week in week out, but my thing is this, does he have the character to handle that kind of pressure. How determined is he going to be to stay fit and stay healthy and perform week in week out.”

England v North Macedonia: Group C – UEFA EURO 2024 Qualifying Round
Photo by Michael Regan – The FA/The FA via Getty Images

Been there, done it
In all honesty, we don’t understand these comments at all.

Certain players do crumble when they head to a huge club, but, with all due respect, Tottenham aren’t Manchester City or Liverpool.

The reality is that James Maddison has been there and done it all before in terms of what Spurs have been trying to achieve.

Let’s not forget, in two of Maddison’s first three seasons at Leicester the Foxes finished above Tottenham as they pushed for a top four spot, while he also won an FA Cup during his time in the East Midlands.

Maddison is more than capable of dealing with playing for a team like Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur are on the verge of signing Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet this summer, according to reports out of Spain.

Who will Spurs sign?
Spurs, lead by new manager Ange Postecoglou, are now beginning their preparations for the 2023/2024 season with the Lilywhites’ boss holding one of his first press conferences the other day.

The charismatic Australian has discussed many topics, including his desire to implement a more attacking-style of football and his delight at Tottenham’s transfer business so far.

The north Londoners have sealed deals for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, England international James Maddison for £45 million, winger Manor Solomon on a free transfer and Dejan Kulusevski on a permanent deal from Juventus.

Maddison, who was a shining light in Leicester City’s relegated side last term, is a player Postecoglou is particularly enthralled by.

“Any manager will tell you that part of the key to being a dominant team is having multiple attacking threats and having a midfielder who can score and create goals – they’re not easy to come by,” Postecoglou said.

“James has proven himself as somebody who can do that. When you look at Tottenham over the last few years, they’ve been really reliant on the front three to get their goals. I thought it was a really good fit for us to look for a player like James.

“He’s in a stage of his career where it feels like he can be a leader, which is great because we need players who want to embrace that responsibility.”

The focus for Tottenham is now shoring up their leaky defence with star centre-back signings, coming after a campaign which saw them leak 63 league goals.

Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven, Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen, Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo, Galatasary star Victor Nelsson and Lenglet have all been linked with Spurs in the last fortnight.

Reliable media sources claim Tottenham are close to sealing an agreement for van de Ven, but other sections of the press believe Spurs could make more than one signing at centre-back.

Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven, Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen, Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo, Galatasary star Victor Nelsson and Lenglet have all been linked with Spurs in the last fortnight.

Reliable media sources claim Tottenham are close to sealing an agreement for van de Ven, but other sections of the press believe Spurs could make more than one signing at centre-back.

Lenglet, who spent the 22/23 season on loan at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, could well join van de Ven shortly going by an update from Mundo Deportivo.

According to the Spanish outlet, and their news editor Javier Gascon, the Frenchman is “about to close” his move to Spurs, but if the transfer can’t be sorted in this next week, he will travel on Barca’s US tour and wait to resolve his future.

Lenglet was given permission not to train until July 18 as the La Liga champions attempt to offload their £204,000-per-week defender.

How good is Clement Lenglet?
Making 28 league appearances for Spurs last season, the former Sevilla star was a regular under Antonio Conte, with very few Spurs players managing a higher passing accuracy (87.5%) than Lenglet (WhoScored).

The 28-year-old has also been praised by his compatriot, Hugo Lloris, who called the centre-back a “high level” and “modern” defender last year.

“He’s a modern defender,” said Lloris.

“Comfortable to be able to play from the back. He has a great left foot and can be very strong in one v one and he’s strong in the air.

Even if it’s never easy when you arrive in the Premier League and he will have to adapt to the intensity of the games but he is a high level player, with experience.”

Tottenham’s Ryan Sessegnon ‘hungry and motivated’ to recover from hamstring surgery
Tottenham defender Ryan Sessegnon admits his hamstring injury is devastating.

Tottenham defender Ryan Sessegnon is determined to work his way back to full strength after suffering a serious hamstring injury.

Spurs confirmed on Tuesday that Sessegnon had undergone surgery on his left hamstring following an injury in the first week of pre-season training under new boss Ange Postecoglou.

Left-back Sessegnon was plagued by muscle injuries last season and now faces another lengthy spell on the sidelines.

“Devastated and not really sure what to say right now, but I wanted to come on here and say thank you for all the kind messages I’ve received,” he said on his Instagram page.

“Hopefully this provides a light at the end of the tunnel. I feel very hungry and motivated to return stronger than ever and be back doing what I do best, for you guys.”

Sessegnon made 23 appearances for Tottenham last season, but his last outing for the club occurred back in February after a hamstring injury curtained the second half of his campaign.

The ex-Fulham academy graduate was over the initial problem and returned to work at Spurs on July 1, only to suffer a reoccurrence of last season’s muscle issue.

It is expected surgery will be a “permanent solution” to his hamstring troubles.

Sessegnon has only made 56 appearances for Tottenham since joining in the summer of 2019 and will now miss the club’s upcoming tour of Perth, Bangkok and Singapore.

Earlier on Wednesday, Spurs announced they would now play local side Lion City Sailors on July 26 in the Singapore leg of their pre-season tour after previous opponents AS Roma, managed by Jose Mourinho, pulled out of their tour to Asia.

Tottenham have also added another fixture to their summer schedule with the club set to face Barcelona in the 58th Joan Gamper Trophy match on August 8.

The pre-season friendly will take place at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys – the scene of the 1992 Olympic Games – due to construction work taking place Barca’s Camp Nou stadium.

Meanwhile, Harry Kane, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Ivan Perisic were among the international players to return to training at Hotspur Way on Wednesday despite speculation over their futures.