Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is contemplating whether to reignite his pursuit of Borussia Monchengladbach star Ko Itakura as he aims to overcome a defensive injury crisis at Hotspur Way by taking advantage of the winter transfer window, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.
The Greek-Australian tactician saw his side suffer a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day and has been left with a lack of options at the heart of the backline ahead of facing Wolverhampton Wanderers this weekend as Radu Dragusin suffered an ankle problem in the latest setback.
Archie Gray - who joined in a £30million switch from Leeds United in the summer - has been forced to fill in at centre-back due to Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies being on the treatment table, and Postecoglou is making plans with technical director Johan Lange to secure reinforcements.
Spurs Entertain Possibility of Move for Itakura
Japan international on radar as potential defensive acquisition
Tottenham are beginning to seriously consider rekindling their interest in Itakura, according to GMS sources, and they have refused to rule out the possibility of testing Borussia Monchengladbach's resolve by launching a formal proposal even though he has not been pinpointed as their first-choice recruit at this stage.
The Japan international is preparing to enter the final 18 months of a contract which allows him to pocket in the region of £30,000-per-week, and Spurs are toying with the idea of offering a route into the Premier League for the first time in his career when the transfer window reopens on January 1.
GMS sources have been informed that Tottenham have continued tracking Itakura throughout the campaign after initially looking at landing him in 2023, before an injury resulted in them heading in an alternative direction, and they could up the ante in their pursuit if they cannot pull off a deal for alternative targets.
The north Londoners are not the 27-year-old central defender's only suitors as Napoli and PSV Eindhoven have also been circling ahead of potentially attempting to lure him to Serie A or the Eredivisie respectively, while he has been compared to Spurs icon Jan Vertonghen thanks to his performances.
Postecoglou is aware that there is a possibility of being able to negotiate a cut-price agreement if Itakura snubs the opportunity to commit his long-term future to the Bundesliga outfit, GMS sources have learned, which comes at a time when Tottenham are not poised to be flush with cash as they aim to bolster their squad ahead of the February 3 deadline.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Ko Itakura made 13 clearances during Borussia Monchengladbach's 2-1 win over Hoffenheim last weekend
Dorgu Among Postecoglou's Leading Targets
North Londoners making backline reinforcements top priority
GMS sources have been told that Lecce's Patrick Dorgu is among the names at the top of Tottenham's shortlist after they have made the addition of a defender their top priority heading into the winter transfer window, but Postecoglou is in danger of facing an uphill battle for his signature.
The Denmark international's current employers are in a strong negotiating position thanks to his contract - which allows him to pocket in the region of £10,000-per-week - not being due to expire until the summer of 2029, while Spurs are not the only side hopeful of being able to strike a mid-season deal.
Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Napoli and AC Milan are also in the market for Dorgu, GMS sources recently revealed, and his admirers have been given optimism about their chances of being able to lure him away as there is an acknowledgement that he would find it hard to ignore interest.
Tottenham are threatening to raid Premier League rivals Bournemouth as Illia Zabarnyi is on their radar as an alternative option, GMS sources understand, while Jonathan Tah, Abdukodir Khusanov and Matte Smets - of Bayer Leverkusen, Lens and Genk respectively - are being eyed.