Leeds United have reportedly set a price tag for midfielder Ao Tanaka, following his goalscoring exploits in the FA Cup quarter-final.
The Whites have seven league games left alongside an FA Cup semi-final later this month, and could end up with a memorable season because of it.
What happens in the summer surely hinges on what unfolds in these games, specifically in the league with Leeds four clear of the relegation zone.
Leeds United’s Ao Tanaka reportedly attracting transfer interest from Bundesliga clubs
The star of the show in the FA Cup quarter at the London Stadium was Ao Tanaka for me. Scorer of the opening goal and Leeds’ maestro for so much of our quality on the ball, Tanaka proved himself as someone who ought to play more often than he does.
Appreciation for his talents extends beyond Elland Road, though.
Reports from Sky Germany (via Fussball Transfers) claim that the United midfielder is subject to interest from back in Germany, having left Fortuna Dusseldorf to join Leeds for £2.95million in 2024.
In particular, FC Schalke, Hannover 96 (both second tier) and Union Berlin are the clubs in question monitoring Tanaka’s situation in West Yorkshire.
Interestingly, it’s claimed that Leeds are looking for a fee in the region of €12million to part ways with the 27-year-old this summer. That equates to just £10.43million.
Likely truth behind Ao Tanaka’s speculated £10.43million Leeds United exit
You always have to take these links with a pinch of salt when not one of the sites reporting it can actually give accreditation to the source properly.
Where actually is this Sky Germany report they’re all referencing? It’s not on their site, I can’t see it. Was it live on air? Because that ought to be something referenced in these reports citing it. No one can actually point specifically to the source of these claims.
Anyway, even the link itself seems peculiar.
Would Tanaka be willing to consider a move back to the standard of German football he left to join Leeds? Schalke and Hannover are in the second tier and aiming for promotion, and he’s a Premier League player right now – that’s an obvious step down that doesn’t reflect his rising stock since joining us.
Then, you look at the supposed price tag. Tanaka will have two years left on his deal this summer and heading towards his 28th birthday in September. As a result, he’s not going to command an eye-watering fee if he were to leave. However, £10.43million looks insulting.
What Leeds do in the summer depends on survival. So, any fixed price tags on assets like Tanaka just look untrustworthy. Leeds wouldn’t label a midfielder with such a value when he could be worth so much more in the summer after the World Cup, if we stay in the top flight.
So many clubs throw money at players after a stellar World Cup, and Tanaka could be the latest. That’s if Leeds even want to part ways, which is up in the air right now as the door opens for more minutes in the wake of Anton Stach’s setback.
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