Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Simon Bajkowski

Celtic and Freiburg add to transfer interest in Man City defender

Manchester City defender Ko Itakura has attracted fresh interest from multiple clubs as he looks to sort his future for next season.

The Japanese centre-back, 25, signed for City in 2019 but has not played a game under Pep Guardiola and has been told that he will not be part of the squad at the Etihad for next year. After spending two years in the Dutch top flight with FC Groningen, he earned impressive reviews this year with Schalke as the German club won their way back up to the Bundesliga.

Itakura has spoken warmly of his time in Germany and Schalke do have the option to buy the defender in a £6m deal. However, clubs including Celtic and Freiburg have been alerted to the news that Schalke may not be able to stump up the fee.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.