At Leeds United, the departure of a few key players has opened up a window of opportunity for others to stake their claim.
During Friday night’s 2-0 Yorkshire derby victory over Sheffield Wednesday, Wilfried Gnonto turned Hillsborough into his own personal playpark.
Stepping up in the absence of Crysensio Summerville, Gnonto was the driving force behind Leeds United’s long-awaited first win of 2023/24.
The man who opened the scoring in the Steel City, meanwhile, appears most likely to benefit from the £40 million sale of Georginio Rutter to Brighton and Hove Albion.
The previously-unpopular Brenden Aaronson is slowly but surely turning those cynics into supporters, following up his well-taken equaliser against Portsmouth on the opening weekend with another classy finish from the number ten role.
Gnonto and Aaronson have found form at the right time with new recruits Largie Ramazani and Manor Solomon coveting their place in Daniel Farke’s starting XI.
Leeds United close in on Fortuna Dusseldorf’s Ao Tanaka
Both Ramazani and Solomon are expected to be in the squad for Saturday’s clash with Hull City.
Ao Tanaka should also have been confirmed as a Leeds player before The Tigers come for tea. HITC understands that the Fortuna Dusseldorf midfielder is due in England for a medical after The Whites agreed a fee in the region of £4 million.
Tanaka, linked with Leeds back in 2023 too, did not train with the rest of the Fortuna squad on Wednesday.
He was conspicuous by his absence again 24 hours later. The Fortuna manager has now confirmed that Tanaka will be unavailable for the Friday evening kick off against Hannover with Leeds closing in on a man who could help offset the losses of Glen Kamara and Archie Gray.
“Ao was not with the team yesterday or today,” head coach Daniel Thioune tells the official Fortuna Dusseldorf website. “I cannot say what will happen in the final personnel matter.
“What is certain, however, is that he will not be with us tomorrow evening. But I do not want to rule out the possibility that this (situation) will not happen again in the future.”
“The role will logically be redistributed (to another player) tomorrow, as Ao has always been on the pitch in the past few games. For the others, it’s a chance to put themselves in the spotlight a little. I’m keeping to myself who I’ll choose exactly.”
Tanaka will not be easily replaced.
The 25-year-old produced a career-best eight goals from midfield last term. Previously likened to Jude Bellingham by the Bundesliga website, Tanaka will add thrust and ‘rasping’ shooting qualities to a Leeds midfield that was high on control but very short on goal threat in Farke’s first season.
Daniel Farke talks Largie Ramazani and Manor Solomon
Farke would not confirm during his Thursday press conference whether Tanaka is on route to Elland Road. He did admit, however, that a midfielder is a must.
“I hope there will be business in the next couple of days. We definitely need a midfield addition and full-back. We stay awake in the offensive positions,” Farke tells Leeds Live, potentially up to three new faces on their way.
“Many key players have left. Largie is judged as a replacement for Cree (Summerville) or Rutter but he’s not. I don’t want to put too much pressure on his small shoulders. He has not played one game in English football.
He has been playing in a really good league in the past three years but in a different country with a different culture. The intensity in the Championship – he will need time to adapt.
“He is a player with massive potential and lots of skills. It’s an important signing for us but it will be unfair right now to see him as a replacement for our top players last season. I want to make sure we don’t put too much pressure on our young guys that we have signed.
“Manor was excellent at Fulham and has proven himself in the Premier League.”
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