Schalke are determined to sign Manchester City defender Ko Itakura on a permanent basis in the summer, but finances could make that difficult.
That’s according to WAZ, who say the Japanese defender’s performances have already convinced the club to make his loan deal a permanent one.
Itakura has been a regular for Schalke since arriving on loan from Manchester City in the summer, his second straight loan spell away from the Etihad since arriving from Kawasaki Frontale in 2019.
He spent the last two years on loan at FC Groningen, where he also established himself as a key player and firm fan favourite.
They have an option to turn his loan deal into a permanent one, with WAZ speaking to Schalke’s sporting director Rouven Schroder regarding the deal.
He confirmed that there is a €4.5m clause in his current deal, and the club “will consider everything in our power” to active that clause.
There is a problem, though, because the German side “are not a rich club,” at the moment so “will not go beyond the scope” of their finances when it comes to making the deal happen.
That is something they can do with the clause available, but finances are tight, and the €4.5m option is only applicable if they are promoted back to the Bundesliga.
Financially speaking, that appears to be their best shot at signing Itakura permanently from Manchester City, but it is also an important aspect for the defender as another year in the second division is ‘out of the question’ for him.
