Leeds United have agreed a potential £4 million for Japan international Ao Tanaka with the Fortuna Dusseldorf midfielder jetting in to England for his medical with the Championship giants.
- Exclusive from Graeme Bailey
After a worrying start to the window in which the outgoings far outstripped the incomings, Daniel Farke’s Leeds United side are finally making some progress as they look to knit together a squad capable of fighting for automatic promotion.
The West Yorkshire giants had considerable money to spend and some big gaps to fill after losing Georginio Rutter to Brighton and Hove Albion shortly after Crysencio Summerville joined West Ham and Archie Gray was snapped up by Tottenham Hotspur.
£10 million was invested in bringing Almeria winger Largie Ramazani – formerly an academy player at Manchester United – back to the north of England.
Leeds then landed Manor Solomon on loan from Spurs. Despite barely featuring under Ange Postecoglou due to injury, the silky winger could be a genuine game-changer at Championship level.
Solomon, after all, scored Champions League goals against Atalanta, Manchester City and even Real Madrid (twice) during his Shakhtar Donetsk days.
HITC can now confirm that Leeds are set to complete the signing of long-term target Ao Tanaka too.
Leeds United agree deal to sign Japan ace Ao Tanaka
The 25-year-old Japan international – capped 27 times by his country – has been on Leeds’ radar since the summer of 2023.
No deal was forthcoming 12 months ago, when Leeds signed Glen Kamara and Ilya Gruev in the final week of the window. But it appears that – after Kamara left for Rennes – Tanaka will get his chance to cross the Channel this time around.
HITC reported earlier in the week that Leeds were closing in on a deal worth around £4 million. It has now been confirmed via Elland Road sources that an agreement has been reached. Tanaka is due to have his medical today.
The former Kawasaki Frontale man moved to Germany in 2021 and has largely impressed during three years at Fortuna Dusseldorf. He scored a career-best eight goals from the centre of midfield last term.
Fortuna Dusseldorf ace brings goals to Daniel Farke’s team
For all of the qualities Leeds possessed in the centre of the park during 2023/24, a goal threat was not one of them. Alongside Southampton loanee Joe Rothwell, Tanaka should help to add a different dimension to Leeds’ engine room then. A bit more thrust, a bit more horsepower, and a box-crashing presence arriving late into the penalty area.
Tanaka was even likened to Jude Bellingham by the Bundesliga website in 2022, highlighting his ‘rasping’ shots as a major strength.
“Tanaka is somewhere in between (an attacking and a defensive midfielder), going box to box and emerging as an on-field leader like Borussia Dortmund’s England international Jude Bellingham,” the official Bundesliga website wrote back in 2022, highlighting the 25-year-old’s ‘rasping’ shots as a particular threat.
“Tanaka looks to clean up from deep and get forward whenever possible.”
Tellingly, Tanaka did not train with the rest of the Fortuna Dusseldorf squad on Wednesday. It is likely that he was left out in order to avoid an injury which may have scuppered his switch to Yorkshire.
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