Ko Itakura, a 29-year-old Japanese player, has returned to Borussia Mönchengladbach after being sold by Ajax. The move is part of Ajax's efforts to clear out players who are no longer in the team's plans. According to VoetbalPrimeur, Itakura was one of the players Ajax wanted to get rid of quickly due to a lack of playing time. The player suffered a back injury and was unable to secure a regular starting position under Míchel Sánchez.
Itakura's departure from Ajax creates space in the club's salary budget, allowing Jordi Cruijff to make new signings. The player had previously been sold to Ajax by Borussia Mönchengladbach for 10.5 million euros last year, with PSV also showing interest at the time. Despite being a 42-time international, Itakura was unable to establish himself as a regular starter at Ajax, playing just 26 games for the club.
Itakura's return to Borussia Mönchengladbach is a significant development in the transfer window, with the player signing a 4-year contract with the German club. Ajax has now sold six players in this transfer window, with Jordi Cruijff hoping to sell more players like Anton Gaaei, Kasper Dolberg, and Owen Wijndal to create further space in the salary budget.