Borussia Mönchengladbach sign Japanese defender Ko Itakura from Ajax
Borussia Mönchengladbach have completed the signing of Japanese defender Ko Itakura from Dutch club Ajax.
Itakura, who played 80 times for the Foals across all competitions between 2022 and 2025, has put pen to paper on a four-year deal through to 2030.
“We were already considering bringing Ko Itakura back to Borussia over the winter,” said Gladbach’s head of sport Rouven Schröder. “We are delighted to have signed a player that brings exactly the experience and quality that we were looking for following Nico Elvedi’s departure.
“The fact that we found all that in someone who is already familiar with the club and will need hardly any time to settle in, in addition to being really keen on coming back, just rounds everything off.”
Itakura, who will wear Gladbach’s No.6 jersey, added: “I’m very happy to be back at Borussia. I missed the club a lot and when the offer arrived, I decided to come back. It feels like being back home.
“I’m looking forward to representing Borussia again and getting to play at home in front of our fans.”
The 29-year-old returns to German football, having featured 31 times for Schalke and helped the Royal Blues secure Bundesliga promotion in 2021/22 while on loan from Manchester City.
Itakura then made a permanent move to Germany, joining Gladbach that summer, where he remained until leaving for Ajax in August 2025.
An experienced head, the 29-year-old could make his second competitive debut for Borussia when Eugen Polanski’s charges travel to Schott Mainz in the DFB Cup first round on 23 August, before facing RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga a week later.
