Kota Takai pathway clear after confirmed Tottenham transfer news
Kota Takai will hope to make an instant impression on Thomas Frank at Tottenham.
Tottenham broke the J1 League transfer record when they signed Takai from Kawasaki Frontale for £5million last month, agreeing a five-year contract with the centre-back.
The Japan international was pictured training with the first team, but picked up a minor injury during pre-season preparations, which ruled him out of the friendly against Reading (19 July).
The 20-year-old will still be hoping to stake his claim for a spot in Frank’s squad, and may have been given a boost following the latest Spurs announcement.
Ashley Phillips rejoins Stoke City on loan
Frank was keen to assess Ashley Phillips after the 20-year-old had a successful campaign in the Championship with Stoke City last season.
However, with the number of defenders available to the Dane at Tottenham, he ultimately decided that the Englishman would benefit from more regular game time elsewhere this season.
| Club | Appearances | Clean Sheets | Minutes Played |
| Stoke City | 35 | 12 | 3,082′ |
As a result, Tottenham officially announced on Wednesday (23 July) that Phillips had rejoined the Potters on loan for the 2025/26 season.
This development comes just days after Alfie Dorrington also rejoined a club on loan in Aberdeen after helping them win the Scottish Cup last season.
These departures will be welcomed by Takai, who will feel more positive about his path to the senior squad at Tottenham following the recent departures.
The centre-back will hope that he can take his chance, just as fellow young defender Luka Vuskovic did against Reading, to impress Frank in the upcoming friendlies and lock down a spot in the first team.
Spurs to agree further loans
While there will be a handful of permanent departures at Spurs, there will also be several young players expected to follow Phillips’ footsteps in going out on loan this summer.
One, if not both, of Jamie Donley and Alfie Devine, who featured against Reading, are expected to leave. Meanwhile, Yang Min-hyeok’s inclusion in Spurs’ Under-21s game against Leyton Orient suggests he is not yet ready for first-team football in North London.
Will Lankshear and Dane Scarlett are also competing for minutes up front, with the former currently looking the more likely to stay.
The biggest question facing Frank is what to do with Mikey Moore, as the 17-year-old undoubtedly has the quality to play for Tottenham, but could benefit more from guaranteed senior minutes elsewhere next season.
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