Ko Itakura

Ko Itakura was born on January 27, 1997, in Yokohama, Japan. In his homeland, he followed the youth academy at Kawasaki Frontale, where he also made his professional debut. He went on to play for Vegalta Sendai before signing for Manchester City in 2019. The Premier League club loaned him to FC Groningen and Schalke 04. In the summer of 2022, he moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach. Since the summer of 2025, he has been playing for Ajax.

67% Aerial duels

38% Ground duels

75% Tackle Accuracy

28% Forward passes

About Ko

Position	Defender
Born	1/27/1997
Length	188 cm
Nationality	Japan
Under contract until	6/30/2029

Played matches season 25/26:
VriendenLoterij Eredivisie	4
UEFA Champions League	1

Ko Itakura makes his debut on the training pitch

Ko Itakura took to the training pitch on Tuesday afternoon to prepare for the next match in the VriendenLoterij Eredivisie: Go Ahead Eagles away. The training session was a special one for Itakura. The Japanese signing trained with his new team for the first time.

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Ajax signs Ko Itakura

Ajax, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Ko Itakura have reached an agreement on the transfer of the defender to Ajax. The 28-year-old Japanese international has signed a four-year contract, running until June 30, 2029. The agreement includes an option for another year. In Germany, his contract had been due to run until June 30, 2026.

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Meet Ajax's first Japanese player: Ko Itakura

Since Friday, Ko Itakura can officially call himself an Ajax player. This makes him the first-ever Japanese player in Amsterdam's service, returning as a player to the league in which he has already played before. Who is our new number four? Read it here.