Tottenham Hotspur could finally be about to finalise their deal to sign Kōta Takai.
Spurs have had a deal agreed for Takai for some time, but it now seems as though the Japanese youngster will be confirmed as a new addition to Thomas Frank’s squad imminently.
Takai has already made his senior international debut aged just 20, and has established himself as one of the brightest young prospects coming out of Japan at present.
Takai to be announced as a Tottenham player this week
Takai has been described as an “elite defender” in Japan, and Spurs will be delighted to get their hands on a player who clearly has a huge ceiling.
The centre-back will make the switch for the modest fee of £5million, and although he will be far from the Lilywhites’ most high-profile summer addition, it still represents a smart long-term investment.
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It remains unclear what the immediate plans for Takai are, but for now, it looks as though he is set to be announced as a Spurs player imminently, after he shared a picture of himself at the airport via Instagram on Sunday (6 July).
Ex-Spurs scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes the official announcement will come at some point this week, and has suggested that Takai could be loaned out immediately.
“That will certainly be announced this week,” King said.
“I’d imagine everything has been agreed. Tottenham are paying £5m, which is a sensible fee for a young player. This will be a good addition to the squad, but perhaps he will be going out on loan.
“This is a good young player to have in the squad, but he needs experience, and if he’s not going to get regular games with the first team, they need to maybe look at loaning him out.
“Once landing on Monday (7 July), he’ll be headed to Tottenham for his medical, and if the medical is clear, the deal will be done.”
Takai should go out on loan for a season
Concerns have been raised surrounding Takai’s ability to instantly adapt to the Premier League, and the defender may arguably be better suited to spending next season out on loan.
The 20-year-old has experience beyond his years in his homeland, but there can be no doubt that the switch to English football is a sizeable jump.
A year spent elsewhere in Europe could be invaluable to the youngster’s development as a player, and could crucially shelter him from the pressures of the Premier League until he is more ready to enter the spotlight as a genuine first-team option at Spurs.