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Tottenham Hotspur's move to the transfer market this summer is in a mess. One of the two players brought in was injured before the start of the season, not enough to miss the players to be recruited consecutively. The sigh of new coach Thomas Frank is about to break through the ground.
Japanese center back Kota Takai (21), Tottenham's first new summer recruit, is groaning from plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is a disease that requires at least 6 to 8 weeks of time only for injury recovery. You can't even train during this period. In the end, it means a long-term injury. Tottenham's plan to strengthen its power has been punctured again.
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The British media TBR Football diagnosed Takai's current condition on the 30th (Korean time) through an article titled `How serious is Takai's plantar fasciitis that occurred during team training?' In conclusion, it is in a 'very serious' state. I need absolute rest There is also a high risk of recurrence. It will take a long wait for Takai to return to the Tottenham squad for the new season and make a substantial contribution.
Coach Frank also expressed concern about this. Currently, coach Frank and Tottenham's squad are on an Asian tour in Hong Kong. They will play a pre-season friendly match against Arsenal at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong on the 31st. To this end, director Frank, who arrived in Hong Kong on the 28th, held an official press conference on the 29th. Here came the question of Takai's condition. Takai has been left out of the Hong Kong-bound squad due to injury and remains in the UK.
Director Frank said "Takai suffers from plantar fasciitis, and unfortunately, the exact condition is unknown. You may not be able to play for weeks" he said.
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As a result, Tottenham's summer signing seems to have collapsed again. Tottenham has made a massive recruitment since the appointment of Frank, but it has not been able to make things happen properly. After signing a complete transfer contract with Matistel, who signed a loan from Bayern Munich in January, Takai was hired by J-League Kawasaki Frontale earlier this month for a transfer fee of 5 million pounds (about 9.2 billion won). The contract was for five years.
The specs looked spectacular. Takai was called the "Future of Japanese Soccer". In February 2022, Kawasaki signed a professional contract as the youngest player in the club's history. Takai, who made his first-team debut in the J1 League in 2023, played 21 games in his first season and scored two goals in 24 games in the 2024 season to win the 'J League Young Player' Award. This season, he played in 19 games before moving to Tottenham and scored two goals even as a defender. In September last year, he made his A-match debut for the Japanese national team.
Tottenham recruited Takai, considering him 'instant power". TBR Football added: 'Tottenham only recruited two new players in this summer's transfer window, Takai Kota and Mohammed Kudus`However, Takai seemed to fall short of Tottenham's demands even before the injury,' he said.
Coach Frank conducted a 1km running test on all players during team training shortly after Takai joined the team. Takai was too much for even this training. In the training video released by Tottenham, Takai collapsed on the field immediately after the test, breathing heavily and appearing to be completely knocked down. When a Tottenham staff member asked how he felt about the training, he answered "not good" without hiding his hard expression.
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Takai, who was struggling from such basic training, was eventually diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. TBR football is very different from common conditions such as hamstring sprain or calf rupture. Takai's subsequent absence from friendly matches with Reading, Wycombe, and Luton does not guarantee an improvement in his condition. The NHS website states that the condition, which causes pain around the soles of the feet, heels, and soles of the feet, can become chronic, and if symptoms do not improve after two weeks, it is recommended to see a specialist.
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In the end, Takai is likely not to make a successful debut season for Tottenham due to plantar fasciitis. The failure to grasp this in the medical test conducted by Tottenham before the recruitment is a big defeat.
There are concerns that the worst case could be the "second Takehiro Tomiyasu". Tomiyas, who was hired by Arsenal in 2021, was expected to be a 'multi-defender' who can play both centre-back and full-back, but his contract was recently terminated after failing to do his part due to continued injuries. It is the epitome of the Japanese glass body that played only six minutes last season.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
