Kota Takai set for dream Tottenham shirt number that will show what Thomas Frank expects

Kota Takai might just have his eye on a certain shirt number at Tottenham Hotspur and whether he gets it will show just how much Thomas Frank expects to use him in his first season.

Spurs have moved to sign the20-year-old centre-back for £5million from Kawasaki Frontale, a J.League record fee for a Japanese player and Takai is expected to be part of the first team squad under new head coachFrank rather than coming in as a development player likely to head out again on loan.

That is mostly because of his experience already in the game. Takai, who turns 21 in September, is not arriving as a teenager taking his first steps in senior football. The 6ft 3ins centre-back has already got four international caps for Japan, turning out in their World Cup qualifiers and is seen as one of the most highly-rated young defenders in the country.

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Takai has clocked up 78 appearances already for Kawasaki and played a key role in them winning the Japanese Super Cup in 2024 on his way to being named the J.League's Young Player of the Year. The young defender has already played 13 times in the AFC Champions League as a key part of the Kawasaki side that reached the final last month, including a big performance in the semi-final win away against an Al-Nassr team boasting Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Jhon Duran.

Takai will arrive at Tottenham next month and will turn up at a time when his favoured No.2 shirt for the past couple of years is available at the club. It has been available since 2023 when Matt Doherty left and it remains to be seen whether anyone else would want it. For Japan, Takai wears the number three and that is also available at Spurs in the wake of Sergio Reguilon's departure.

Young players arriving at Tottenham often take numbers higher up the list, although Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall did get 14 and 15 last summer. In being given either number two or three, Tottenham would certainly be showing Takai their faith in him and that he will be up the pecking order to challenge for a regular spot if he shows what they expect in training over the coming months.

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