Tottenham Hotspur’s loan plans for Kota Takai have not gone to plan this season, with the centre-back struggling with the demands of European football.
With the season currently drawing to a close, several of Tottenham Hotspur’s loan stars will soon be preparing to return to N17.
A lot has certainly changed since many of those players were sent out on loan, particularly those who departed during the summer transfer window.
Spurs have since undergone a series of managerial changes, with Thomas Frank, Igor Tudor and now Roberto De Zerbi all taking charge at different stages of the campaign.
Frank was the manager responsible for sending most of the players out on loan during the summer, and we have now decided to take a closer look at how one young Tottenham player, Kota Takai, is getting on in Germany.
Tottenham youngster Kota Takai struggling for minutes in Germany
The Japanese international joined Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach on loan during the winter transfer window.
Unfortunately, it has not been the ideal spell for the former J-League player, with injuries disrupting his progress.
Since moving to Germany, Takai has made just eight appearances for Monchengladbach and has played only four minutes of football since February after suffering a muscle strain and struggling to break back into the side.
His lack of minutes continued at the weekend as he remained an unused substitute during Monchengladbach’s 3-1 defeat at Augsburg.
It now appears increasingly unlikely that he will feature again this season, with Monchengladbach set to conclude their campaign at home to Hoffenheim on Saturday, although Takai will still hope for some involvement.
Spurs must decide next step for Kota Takai
Once Takai returns to north London, Tottenham will need to decide on the next stage of his development.
There is a possibility he could remain at Spurs next season, particularly if the club are relegated and loses some of their key centre-backs.
However, if Tottenham avoid the drop and begins rebuilding under Roberto De Zerbi, Takai could struggle for regular minutes in N17.
Competition for places in defence is already strong, with Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Kevin Danso and Luka Vuskovic all available alongside Radu Dragusin. Given his lack of game time this season, another loan move currently appears the most likely outcome.