Best Alternatives to Ko Itakura

Top 3 Alternatives to Ko Itakura

1. 1.Tsuyoshi Watanabe87% DNA match·Feyenoord€10.0M
2. 2.Takehiro Tomiyasu86% DNA match·Ajax€12.0M
3. 3.Hiroki Ito86% DNA match·FC Bayern München€18.0M

Ranked by AI DNA similarity — 768 dimensions across playing style, pressing intensity, and tactical fit.

Playing Style Analysis

Itakura is the kind of defender who wins games in the margins — not with last-ditch tackles, but with the quiet authority of a man who rarely puts the ball in the wrong place. His 93.3% pass accuracy sits in the top 5% of Eredivisie defenders, which tells you this isn't a player just lumping it clear; he's building from the back with genuine precision. His aerial and ground duel win rates both land in the top 20%, making him a reliably dominant physical presence. The three most similar players to Ko Itakura by playing style are:

• Tsuyoshi Watanabe(87% match) — A Ball-Playing CB. Statistically, he stands out as commanding in the air (5.0 clearances/90), meticulous in distribution (89% pass accuracy), wins the physical battle (61% duel success), heavily involved in possession (62 passes/90), central to possession (75 touches/90), strong in aerial duels (3.2 aerials won/90), uses long balls frequently (5.2/90) and active off the ball (2.1 press score/90), contributing to defensive transitions.
• Takehiro Tomiyasu(86% match) — A Active Full-Back. Statistically, he stands out as meticulous in distribution (86% pass accuracy).
• Hiroki Ito(86% match) — A Ball-Playing CB. Statistically, he stands out as naturally left-footed, a prolific assist provider (0.34 assists/90), meticulous in distribution (91% pass accuracy), wins the physical battle (61% duel success), heavily involved in possession (82 passes/90), penetrates with forward passing (11.3 final-third passes/90) and central to possession (97 touches/90). Note: this profile is based on 797 minutes of playing time this season.

Similarity is calculated using per-90 performance data across multiple playing style dimensions. How Player DNA matching works →