Celtic-linked Ko Itakura has stated that he wants to go to a club that truly needs him next year as he looks ahead to life after Schalke.
The Japanese international won’t be staying with the newly-promoted Bundesliga club on a permanent basis. Schalke confirmed yesterday that the club simply couldn’t afford the option-to-buy fee.
Sky Sports believe that fee stood at around £6m, with Celtic monitoring the player’s situation ahead of the summer transfer window opening.
And as Itakura reflected on the fact he won’t be staying with the German club, he explained what he’s looking for in his next move.
As quoted by Japanese outlet Football-Zone, the centre-back said: “I had a good season with everyone. Schalke was a good option for me, and I wanted to play with everyone. Schalke said they would do something about it, but it can’t be helped.
“I am grateful to Schalke for inviting me and giving me the chance to play for a big club. I am sad that I will miss being promoted to the first division, but I am relieved and satisfied that I have achieved my minimum goal.
“There are some things that I myself will see in the news first. I am happy to hear about it. I want to go to a club that needs me. I haven’t decided yet and I don’t know where it will be, but I hope I can show myself and play games wherever I go.”
Ko Itakura looking to play a big role at his next club – is Celtic right for him?
It’s interesting when you actually look at the situation at Parkhead regarding the new centre-back’s position. It’s clear Ange wants another defender in to increase the quality of cover, but how often will he actually play?
The manager spoke towards the end of the season about the lack of game-time for Stephen Welsh and Christopher Jullien. He stated that this was simply down to the fact that he didn’t like to rotate his centre-backs regularly. It’s not a position Ange feels confident in tweaking on a regular basis.
You can fully understand that, but where does it leave someone with the ambition of Itakura? Would he be satisfied coming to Parkhead knowing that he would be behind Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers in the pecking order?
And what about how much the club is willing to spend. Would we be happy to fork out £6m for a new defender if they aren’t going to be a first-choice? Yes, they’ll play often enough over the course of a season. But how much are we prepared to invest? Especially if we’re going to sink funds into bringing CCV here on a permanent basis.
Decisions decisions. The truth is we need a higher quality of cover. The player that does arrive to carry out that task won’t be sold on the idea of being a third-choice. Ange will have plenty of man-management to do next season you feel as he looks to bolster the quality of his squad whilst keeping everyone happy.
Itakura, meanwhile, is eyeing up a club that truly needs him. Is that Celtic? Over to you Ange if so.
In other news, Report: Tottenham and Man City looking to raid Celtic academy for highly-regarded goalkeeper
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