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Ko Itakura spent last season in the German second division, on loan at Schalke from Manchester City.

He’d previously been on loan at FC Groningen in the Netherlands, and it seems clear there’s no future for him with Pep Guardiola’s side. The 25-year-old has a contract with Manchester City which lasts until June 2023, so a full sale is needed this summer.

Bild report Schalke, who were promoted to the Bundesliga, had a buying option worth £5m, however, they didn’t have the capacity to go through with that. Schalke’s failure has opened the door for other clubs, and Bild say Borussia Monchengladbach are keen.

They had been looking to sign the player for around the same fee Schalke had agreed, but the situation has since been blocked. Bild explain that’s because there’s no interest from England in Ko Itakura and Manchester City want to take advantage of that.

The Premier League champions now hope they can push the price ‘even higher’, especially with multiple clubs coming forward to try and sign him. That’s not great news for Borussia Monchengladbach, but is obviously positive for Manchester City.

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