Leeds United midfielder Ao Tanaka is now being linked with a move away from Elland Road this month, and it comes after his dazzling FA Cup performance vs West Ham.
As the dust settles on Leeds’ triumph in the FA Cup quarter-final against West Ham, there’s speculation rife around one of the stars of that day.
Ao Tanaka was the scorer of Leeds’ opener at the London Stadium. Now, he’s being linked with a somewhat unsurprising, yet equally disappointing move away.
Ao Tanaka open to Premier League transfer away from Leeds United on supposed £10.4m value
An intriguing report from Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg this week reveals that United midfielder Tanaka is open to leaving the club this summer.
It comes after a lack of playing time in the Premier League this season, with Tanaka not starting a league game since mid-December.
In Plettenberg’s update, he shares that Tanaka would prefer a move across the Premier League to a rival of Leeds’.
Also, he states that a move could cost around €10-12million (£10.4million) to prise him from Elland Road in the summer, as the World Cup looms.
Spotted: Ao Tanaka’s goal celebration in West Ham v Leeds United says everything
Tanaka has already dropped a hint at his frustrations over sitting on the bench most weeks in the Premier League.
You can gather that this Sky Germany update stems from Tanaka’s agent or perhaps representatives pushing the boat out, but the player himself gestured during the West Ham win to suggest he’s not happy.
After scoring a superb goal that he orchestrated from start to finish, Tanaka wheeled away in celebration in front of the Irons fans.
As he celebrated, Tanaka put his fingers in his ears in a very deliberate manner, an action often seen by players subject to plenty of speculation.
Given Tanaka’s usual uncontrollable glee when he scores for Leeds, it was an intriguing choice.
That said, can you blame him? I certainly don’t think it’s a surprise to see that he’s not happy with his situation at Leeds, and representatives are putting the feelers out over an exit.
Is it a kick up the backside for Farke to finally trust him to play? Perhaps so. Tanaka has laid his cards on the table with this celebration and then reports from a big journalist saying he is thinking of leaving.
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