Leeds United’s Ao Tanaka is reportedly open to leaving Elland Road during the summer transfer window, with several German clubs expressing interest.
Tanaka’s Reduced Role at Leeds
Tanaka, a midfield star, played 45 times across all competitions for Leeds in his first campaign in England. He was hailed by a former Leeds manager for his simple, effective style in the Championship. However, his role has become less frequent after Daniel Farke changed the team’s approach midway through the current Premier League season.
Ethan Ampadu, Anton Stach, and Ilia Gruev have been given priority in midfield ahead of the Japanese international. Tanaka’s game time has been very limited in the last two months.
Interest from Germany
Several clubs have been alerted to Tanaka’s situation as the season nears its conclusion. 2. Bundesliga table-toppers Schalke are keen on him, but their chances of signing him have been described as ‘not the best’. Bundesliga side Freiburg are also tracking the Japanese international.
According to German journalist Florian Plettenberg, Tanaka is ‘open to leaving Leeds’ when the current campaign ends. Despite interest from Freiburg, he is reportedly more interested in making a move within the Premier League.
Leeds’ Valuation
Leeds United signed Tanaka from Fortuna Dusseldorf in the summer of 2024 for around £3m on a four-year deal. His current deal runs until the summer of 2028. It is thought that Leeds want a fee of around €10m to 12m for the Japanese international.
While a move to Breisgau-Brasilianer might not be Tanaka’s priority, he remains focused on helping Leeds stay away from the relegation zone. They currently sit 15th in the table.
Tanaka will hope his situation at Elland Road changes by the end of the season. If it doesn’t, he could be moving on from the Whites after two seasons with the Yorkshire outfit.