Watford are considering Tottenham Hotspur's 21-year-old Japanese centre-back Kota Takai as they seek to sign two central defenders before the deadline next Tuesday. The club's interest in Takai is part of a wider search for defensive options. Watford had been exploring deals for seven different targets. Takai joined Tottenham in July 2025 and has a contract until 2030. The defender has four caps for Japan, and his current market value is estimated by Transfermarkt to be €5.00m.