Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keen on signing the VfB Stuttgart defender Hiroki Ito.
The 25-year-old has impressed with his performances in the Bundesliga and he helped Stuttgart finish as the runners-up in the league this past season.
According to a report from Bild, Tottenham are keen on signing him and he has a €30 million release clause in his contract. Spurs certainty have the financial muscle to pay the reported asking price and it remains to be seen whether they can get the deal done.
Tottenham will need to add more quality and depth to their defensive unit and the Japanese defender would be ideal for them. He is capable of operating as a central defender as well as a full-back.
He could be the ideal replacement for someone like Emerson Royal if the Brazilian decides to leave the club. He has been linked with a host of clubs in recent weeks and he could be on the move this summer.
The opportunity to join a Premier League club will be quite exciting for Ito and he will look to test himself at a higher level.
Hiroki Ito (right) competes for possession in Japan’s FIFA World Cup Asian qualifier – (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)Hiroki Ito would be a useful addition
The reported €30 million valuation seems reasonable for the player of his quality as well and he could be a useful squad option for Tottenham in the coming seasons. It remains to be seen whether the North London club are ready to trigger his exit clause in the coming weeks.
Tottenham had an impressive season last year, but they missed out on on champions league qualification. They will be looking to bounce back strongly this year and push for trophies as well.
They need a deeper squad to do well across multiple competitions. They have managed to secure Europa league qualification, and they need more options at their disposal in order to rotate the squad and keep the players fresh during fixture congestion. Versatile players like Ito could prove to be very useful for them.