Napoli Still Keen on Borussia Moenchengladbach Star | OneFootball

Antonio Conte would like to add a more trustworthy deputy defender, and Napoli have set sights on Ko Itakura to meet his request. Alessandro Buongiorno and Amir Rrahmani have been rock-solid. Instead, Rafa Marin hasn’t won over the coach, and Juan Jesus hasn’t been great when called upon.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, the gaffer is pushing to bring in one more quality man in the back. The Partenopei inquired about the Borussia Moenchengladbach stalwart. He’s started and finished every game for his side this season, scoring once.

Napoli already tracked Itakura in the past but eventually signed Kim Min-Jae, Buongiorno, and Marin over him. President Aurelio De Laurentiis is in favor of bringing in another Asian player. They have had success with that marketing-wise in the past.

The 27-year-old found a home at Borussia Moenchengladbach after being a journeyman earlier in his career. He joined Manchester City back in 2019 after breaking out at Vegalta Sendai and Kawasaki Frontale in his home country. He’s spent a few seasons on loan at Groningen and Schalke 04 before leaving permanently for €5.5M in 2022. The center-back has racked up 53 appearances in the Bundesliga and 56 in the Eredivisie. He has 33 caps with Japan.

The Azzurri are also keeping tabs on two previous targets, Radu Dragusin and Jakub Kiwior.

Our Take on Napoli and Itakura

Another reliable option in the back is more of a need for next season, but they are one injury away from being in trouble, and they have gone above and beyond to make Conte happy on the transfer market. They’ve clearly liked him for a while, but it remains to be seen if his side is open to sale, how much that will take, and the potential competition.