Ajax reportedly paid Gladbach a transfer fee of €7.5 million for the Japanese defender, who signed a four-year contract in Amsterdam. That fee could rise to €10 million via bonuses.
Ko Itakura, who becomes the first Japanese player in Ajax history, played 80 games for Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach in three seasons, scoring seven goals in the process.
The 28-year-old Itakura joined Gladbach from Manchester City in 2022 for €5 million. Itakura spent all three seasons he was under contract at City abroad, with FC Groningen and Schalke 04 as his destinations. During his two seasons at Groningen, Itakura impressed the likes of PSV and Ajax.
PSV were reportedly after the defender in the summer transfer windows of 2024 and 2025, but never went all-in for the Japanese centre-half.
Will Itakura replace Jorrel Hato at Ajax?
Itakura, a 37-time Japanese international, was approached by Ajax's director of football, Marijn Beuker, when the latter visited partner club Gamba Osaka at the time Japan played Indonesia in a World Cup qualifier. Beuker spoke to Itakura, who expressed his desire to join Ajax.
After Ajax reached an agreement with Chelsea on the transfer of Jorrel Hato, who left Ajax for €43 million, Ajax director Alex Kroes initiated contact with Borussia Monchengladbach and Itakura.
Itakura will not fill Hato's spot at left-back, however. Ajax are reportedly still looking for a new left-back, which suggests Itakura will play next to Croatian international Josip Sutalo in the heart of the defence.
Ajax, who missed out on last year's Eredivisie title by squandering a double-digit lead in the final weeks of the season, open their new Eredivisie season on Sunday, August 10th, with a home game against promoted side Telstar.