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Tottenham edge close to ‘strange’ new signing; club already has depth in that position

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Aaryan Choksi | Last updated Jun 29, 2025 11:11 AM ET

Tottenham are signing Kota Takai as the club looks to provide cover in the centre-back position next season

There is an urgent need to bring in defensive reinforcements in the summer if Tottenham want to close the gap on their rivals next season. The Lilywhites cannot afford to begin the new campaign without addressing the problems at the back, as the North London club only managed to keep six clean sheets in the Premier League last season.

With Cristian Romero potentially heading for the exit doors in the coming weeks and Micky van de Ven struggling to stay fit for a run of games, Daniel Levy must look to sign a quality defender that could potentially replace either one of the centre-backs in the long-term. Keeping that in mind, Spurs have finalised the transfer of Japanese centre-back Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale.

The 20-year-old has no real experience of playing against top teams in Europe, and the signing might come as a bit of a shock to some Tottenham fans. However, the centre-back clearly has bags of potential that can be fulfilled during his time at N17. But many fans are worried that the North London club is focusing too much on signing young talents, instead of Premier League-proven players.

Tottenham might have made a mistake by signing Kota Takai

There is no doubt that Kota Takai has loads of talent that can help him flourish in the Premier League. However, signing the Japanese player has raised some concerns amongst the Spurs fans as the Lilywhites already have talented players in their ranks in the same position. With Luka Vuskovic and Ashley Phillips aiming to make their presence felt in the first-team next season, Tottenham have enough backup to cover the centre-back position.

Now, John Wenham has raised concerns over the signing of Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale. Speaking to Tottenham News, Wenham said,

“I find this signing quite strange if I’m being honest. The centre-back position is probably the strongest when it comes to our squad depth. We have the likes of Ashley Phillips, Alfie Dorrington, and Luka Vušković to come in, too.”

The Lilywhite Rose owner added,

“It’s a position we’re quite well covered in. However, Tottenham are always looking to sign the best young talent around, and it has worked well with someone like Lucas Bergvall. Therefore, hopefully he does well, and I’m sure Thomas Frank will take a look in pre-season.”

John Wenham has suggested that signing Kota Takai is a ‘strange’ decision. The Lilywhite Rose owner pointed out that the centre-back already has enough cover as Luka Vuskovic, Ashley Phillips, and Alfie Dorrington are all waiting in the ranks. However, Wenham also suggests that Spurs are looking to sign the best talents in the world, and the club is hoping that Kota Takai will follow the same route as Lucas Bergvall in the first team.

Fans will hope that the Lilywhites handle the Japanese defender’s development in the right way. The North London cannot rush him into the first-team setup as he does not have prior experience of playing against elite teams in the Premier League. Pre-season will determine whether Thomas Frank opts to utilise Kota Takai in the first-team squad, or does he send the 20-year-old out for a loan for the upcoming season.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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