Gladbach’s Ko Itakura (28) was in high demand in the Netherlands this summer. In the end, Ajax Amsterdam prevailed against its national competition and won the bid for the Japanese player.
It had already been on the cards in recent days, but now the parties have finally announced that the deal is done: Ko Itakura is leaving Borussia Mönchengladbach after three years and is moving to Ajax Amsterdam with immediate effect.
The Japanese international (37 caps, 2 goals) has signed a contract with the current Dutch runners-up until June 30, 2029, with an option for a further year. This means that the Foals’ long-standing defensive stalwart is leaving Gladbach one year before the end of his contract.
“Ko is an outstanding footballer and an outstanding person who has left his mark during his time here at Borussia,” said Roland Virkus, Borussia’s sporting director, paying tribute to the center back’s achievements. No obstacles were put in Itakura’s way when he moved to Amsterdam: “He is a quality player who has always put himself at the service of the cause. We therefore respect his wish to be able to demonstrate these qualities in the Champions League in the future.”
In the Netherlands, it wasn’t just Ajax who were keen to sign the Gladbach player; according to media reports, all of the country’s top clubs were vying for his services. Champions PSV Eindhoven, led by coach Peter Bosz, who has already successfully signed three Bundesliga pros this summer, and last year’s third-placed Feyenoord Rotterdam are also said to have put out feelers. The latter in particular proved to be a tough competitor and, according to reports, initially made an offer similar to Ajax’s.
Signed for five million euros in 2022
However, the Dutch record champions won the bid after improving their offer and thus prevailed in the poker game. Ajax will initially transfer a base fee of 10.5 million euros to Gladbach for Itakura. Bonuses could increase the transfer fee to twelve million euros. And because the bonus conditions are relatively low, Borussia will also achieve its target range of €12 million.
According to reports, VfL had transferred €5 million to Manchester City in the summer of 2022 to buy Itakura out of his contract.
With Itakura leaving a year before the end of his contract, the Foals are losing a reliable regular. He made 24 Bundesliga appearances in the 2022/23 season, followed by 20 in the 2023/24 season (three goals) and 31 last season (three goals). Before his time in Mönchengladbach, Itakura played one season at Schalke, impressing in 31 second division games (four goals).
“I would like to thank everyone at the club for their fantastic support over the past three years. It has meant a lot to me to play in front of these fans in this stadium and I will definitely come back here as a fan,” Itakura was quoted as saying.
At Ajax, the Japanese international is seen as a replacement for Jorrel Hato, who has moved to Chelsea. The reigning club world champions are said to have paid €40 million for the 19-year-old left-back, who can also play in central defense.
