Leeds United are currently undergoing a shake up in their engine room following Joe Rothwell’s departure to Rangers.
His loan ended with Leeds United and he has since moved from AFC Bournemouth to the Scottish giants on a permanent basis and penned a three-year deal at Ibrox.
Rothwell’s switch to Rangers has caught the eye and many Leeds fans are excited by what Rothwell could do as his new club look to beat Celtic to the title for the first time in over five years.
It leaves Leeds with Ao Tanaka, Ilia Gruev, and Ethan Ampadu as the deeper midfielders for next season in the Premier League, which is why Daniel Farke’s side have been in the market for a replacement.
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Ao Tanaka is primed for a change at Leeds United
Tanaka is a fantastic footballer, as exemplified by Tanaka’s Championship award nomination recently. Having played in the 2. Bundesliga previously, next season will be his first test of top flight football in a major league.
Alongside Ampadu, it’s fair to say that he is one of the most Premier League-ready players in the squad in the eyes of most, given his quality in possession and his press-resistance.
In that sense, it is why Tanaka is a player to build the Leeds team around next season. Currently, Tanaka has been enjoying his holidays with Joel Piroe in Japan but pre-season training begins on Monday.
He will be wearing Leeds’ new kit next season but Tanaka could also be set to wear a new shirt number following Rothwell’s departure. It’s already been hinted that a change from No.22 is imminent by Leeds, too.
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Following the kit announcement, Twitter/X user Poppy Smith confirmed it is not set in stone in the same way Ampadu and Dan James’ are. It then begs the question as to what Tanaka will go to next.
Exclusively, he has worn the No.17 shirt for Japan. However, Largie Ramazani is the current player in question holding that for Leeds.
In his club career, he started with No.32 for Kawasaki Frontale before a switch to No.25. For Fortuna Dusseldorf, Tanaka bore Ethan Ampadu’s four, so he won’t be getting that anytime soon if it’s his preference.
However, if Sam Byram departs on a free, then his former 25 will be available. Or he could opt to wear Rothwell’s vacant eight ahead of any new midfield additions that come in.
As Tanaka can play in more of a natural box-to-box role with Ampadu the deeper of the pair for attacks, the eight might make the most sense for him next term.
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Ao Tanaka’s midfield partner in 2025/26
England and Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice loves watching Tanaka, while Sheffield Wednesday’s Josh Windass claims Tanaka was his most difficult opponent in 2024/25.
The 26-year-old could take the Premier League by storm if his performances translate. How often he starts if there are additions is another question, albeit Ampadu’s strengths and Anton Stach’s skill-set would complement him well in some games.
The concerns are regarding Tanaka’s physicality and size next season. His technical ability in the Championship set him apart from others, but that won’t be as big of an upside in the top flight.
It means some games may suit a Tanaka and Ampadu/Stach pairing more, while others could need the latter as a duo screening the defence for their sheer size and physical prowess compared to Tanaka.