Ange Postecoglou eyeing Manchester City player for Celtic

As soon as rumours first emerged about Ange Postecoglou coming to Celtic, there were suggestions that his extensive knowledge of having managed in Japan and Australia could help bring new players to the club from around the globe.

Now that he is here, the speculation linking the club with players from both Australia and Japan has only intensified over the past few weeks.

As reported by the Daily Record, Postecoglou is considering a move for Manchester City’s Ko Itakura. He has been out on loan for the past 18 months and had a very successful stint with FC Groningen in Netherlands.

The Japanese international is believed to be high on the list of targets on which Postecoglou is currently working and the manager is well aware of the player from his time in Japan.

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Would Itakura be a good signing for Celtic?

Itakura has made 5 appearances for the Japan national team. According to stats from Transfermarkt, he has also made 59 appearances for FC Groningen over his time at the club.

And there he was part of one of the best defences in the Eredivisie. Last season, only Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord conceded fewer goals than them.

Someone like Itakura could certainly be a solid signing for the club, especially considering the fact that they could be short of options at centre-back soon. Kristoffer Ajer has been linked with a move away from Parkhead this summer, with just a year left on his current deal. And if he was to leave, Stephen Welsh and Christopher Jullien would be the only recognised centre-backs left at the club, with Nir Bitton capable of filling in when needed.

Mario Vuskovic, who currently plays for Hajduk Split, has been heavily linked with a move to Parkhead in recent times as well. And it is very possible that the Hoops could end up signing more than one centre-back this summer.