Leeds United have struck gold with Ao Tanaka transfer, commercial gains on the cards
Leeds United are one of many Championship sides that underwent a major overhaul of players during the summer transfer window.
A lot of the Whites’ star players left, leaving fans wondering whether or not they’d be as competitive as they were in the season prior.
However, despite the exit of players such as Archie Gray and Crysencio Summerville, it feels as if the club have replaced and replenished well.
Ao Tanaka is an example of this. The Japan international who has been described as a bargain transfer [The Athletic, 5 September] by those who watched him regularly, could bring a lot more than just good performances to the West Yorkshire outfit.
Although there’s no denying that Tanaka is a stellar talent, it’s hard to look past the monetary value that the midfielder could bring to the club.
As has been shown by the likes of Son Heung-Min at Tottenham, Kyogo Furuhashi at Celtic and even Shinji Kagawa at Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund, having an East Asian ‘superstar’ within your ranks can open up a lot of different opportunities.
For example, back in April 2024, The Times reported that Son’s shirt sales can total up to around 1,000 per matchday.
Although this will have no doubt been boosted by the departure of former Spurs captain Harry Kane, the report also stated that before the Englishman’s exit, close to 700 were taken off of the shelves at every home game.
Not only does this show the potential importance of Tanaka’s move but it also shows that there is more to the transfer than meets the eye.
Ao Tanaka could be a surprise package for Leeds United this season
Since the start of the summer transfer window, the Japan international was linked with a move [Sports Hochi, 29 May] to Elland Road.
In fact, Leeds’ interest in the box-to-box midfielder can even be traced back to last summer but the move never came to fruition.
While it’s unlikely that Tanaka will be able to replicate the form of Gray straight away, as the season goes on it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the midfielder outperforming his peers.
Last season, the 25-year-old played 36 games across all competitions for Fortuna Dusseldorf and managed to contribute to 12 goals.
These numbers are fairly impressive, especially considering that he only played in attacking midfield a total of four times across the season.
It’s still early days of course but, for now, at least, it feels as if Farke has struck a solid deal by signing the midfielder.
In other Leeds news, Koln’s Sporting Director has provided an update on Dejan Ljubicic’s future.
For more Leeds news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.