Manchester City defender Ko Itakura has insisted he feels ‘comfortable’ on loan at Schalke, but there have not been talks about his future at the club.
The Japanese defender joined the German side on loan in the summer transfer window after spending two years on loan at Groningen following his move to Manchester City from Kawasaki Frontale in January 2019.
He’s been a regular for Schalke this season and established himself as a key player, which has led to suggestions they will look to make his move a permanent one.
Schalke have an option to do just that, but much is likely to depend on whether they can secure promotion back to the Bundesliga.
They currently sit sixth in the table after 23 games but are only two points behind leaders Werder Bremen, so are very much in the promotion race at this moment in time.
And it seems Itakura would be happy to make the move but has not spoken to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on the subject.
“I feel comfortable here and want to play at Schalke in the longer term. Hopefully, we can have an interview in German at some point – maybe in ten years,” he told SportBILD.
“It’s not my sole decision either. For me, not getting promoted is not an option. That’s not in my mind.
“Every footballer wants to play in the highest league. And for me, it’s very clear that that will be the case with Schalke.
“To be honest, I’ve never spoken to him (Guardiola). But at the moment, all I have in mind is to leave my mark at Schalke. Of course, I would be happy to take on a similar role to Uchida at Schalke one day!”
