Eintracht's milestone appears to be expanding, you might have noticed.
Eintracht Frankfurt Pursues Ko Itakura as Defensive Reinforcement
Eintracht Frankfurt is actively seeking to bolster their defense during the transfer period, with Japanese defender Ko Itakura from Borussia Mönchengladbach emerging as a prime candidate. This move comes in the wake of the imminent sale of Eintracht's main defender Lucas Silva "Tuta" Melo to Al-Duhail SC for approximately €15 million.
Reports suggest that Eintracht is aiming to hijack Itakura's expected move to Ajax, with Borussia Mönchengladbach demanding at least €10 million, while Ajax's initial offer was €8 million plus bonuses. Despite this, no official announcement has been made regarding the transfer.
With a transfer surplus of approximately €87 million after sales including Tuta and striker Hugo Ekitité, Eintracht Frankfurt appears ready to invest significantly in defensive reinforcements. The club recently signed Japanese forward Ritsu Dōan, but he is not a defensive player.
Ko Itakura, a versatile defender who can play both in the interior defense and defensive midfield, is currently in talks with Gladbach. However, other defensive candidates have not been explicitly mentioned in recent reports.
Initially, sports director Markus Krösche did not plan for a significant shake-up in Eintracht's team. However, the desired "XXS shake-up" may end up being a normal one, as often happens during a transfer summer.
Meanwhile, Aurele Amenda is on the verge of a move to FC Turin, and Wataru Endo, another potential defender for Eintracht, is rumored but is already 32 years old.
In other news, Eintracht has found a replacement for Hugo Ekitike in their attack, with Jonathan Burkardt stepping up to fill the void. Additionally, Tuta has left Eintracht for Qatar after six years.
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- Eintracht Frankfurt could consider reinforcing their defense with another European-league player, potentially from sports other than football, as they have sizable funds from sales and need to fill the void left by Tuta's departure.
- While Ko Itakura is currently in talks with Borussia Mönchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt's pursuit of him as a defensive reinforcement indicates a possible interest in recruiting players from European leagues to bolster their squad.
