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According to Fussbal, Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are competing with Liverpool to sign Borussia Monchengladbach defender Kou Itakura.
Itakura, 27, plays as a center-back. He is a Japanese international and has represented them 27 times so far in his career. Itakura has been at Monchengladbach since 2022 and has so far made 43 appearances for the club, including 18 this season.
He has also played for clubs like Schalke and Dutch club Groningen in his career. Itakura is contracted with Monchengladbach until the end of the 2025-26 season and as per Transfermarkt, he has an estimated market value of €15 million.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are expected to bolster their defensive ranks in the summer. Aymeric Laporte's future is doubtful as the former Manchester City defender has been linked with making a return to European football.
Itakura, an experienced campaigner in European football, could be a worthy replacement. Atletico Madrid's Jose Maria Gimenez has also been linked with a move to the Knights of Najd.
Liverpool, meanwhile, are also expected to look for a new defender in the summer, with Joel Matip's contract set to expire. While the Reds have Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, and more in their ranks, Itakura could be a good backup option. The 27-year-old could become the second Japan international in the squad that already have Wataru Endo.
However, Itakura is reportedly on several top European teams' radar. Atletico Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur have been mentioned as other interested parties for Itakura.
Former Liverpool ace Sadio Mane scored a spectacular goal for Al-Nassr in Cristiano Ronaldo's absence
Al-Nassr recently defeated Al-Feiha 3-1 on April 19. Cristiano Ronaldo was absent from the game as he is serving a suspension following his red card for elbowing Al-Hilal defender Ali Albulayhi.
Sadio Mane scored twice, including a tantalizing solo goal in Ronaldo's absence. He also missed a penalty during the match.
Watch Mane's worldie:
Mane, formerly of Liverpool, has now scored 17 goals and has provided nine assists in 39 appearances across all competitions since his summer transfer to Al-Nassr.
