Credit: Manh Tung/Breaking Media

Richie Mills

Thu 9 April 2026 12:40, UK

Sean Longstaff may still struggle to get Leeds United game time despite Ao Tanaka being open to an Elland Road exit.

Leeds had multiple bids knocked back by Newcastle United last summer before his boyhood club eventually relented with an initial fee of £12million.

Longstaff fit Leeds’ transfer brief of experienced players in their mid-to-late 20s, but after a bright start, he has fallen down the pecking order.

Since a calf injury in November, Longstaff hasn’t started a single Premier League game for Daniel Farke‘s side.

Longstaff was an unused substitute in Leeds’ FA Cup win over West Ham on Sunday and amid reports Tanaka is considering his future at the club, the 28-year-old’s patience may be tested.

What has gone wrong for Sean Longstaff?

Between facing Newcastle in late August and Aston Villa in late November, Longstaff hasn’t got a look-in under Farke.

Anton Stach, Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev and Tanaka are ahead of him in the midfield pecking order, with the ex-Magpies ace being given a handful of cameos since his return in January.

Longstaff has scored two goals and added two assists in 21 matches in all competitions, with his most recent starts coming against Championship opposition in Norwich City and Birmingham City in the FA Cup.

According to Sofascore, Longstaff has a league rating of 6.85, his passing accuracy is at 85 per cent, his crossing accuracy is at 48 per cent, and he is averaging 2.2 tackles and ball recoveries per game.

For total duels won, Longstaff is at 53 per cent and compared to Tanaka, he edges him on assists (2 vs 0), big chances created (6 vs 1), tackles, clearances, blocked shots, and for duels won.

And yet against West Ham, Farke picked Tanaka, perhaps because he offers something a bit different from Stach and Ampadu.

Tanaka took his chance against West Ham with a goal, whereas Longstaff didn’t get on at all. The Japan international is reportedly open to a Leeds departure this summer due to a lack of game time.

That could open the door for Longstaff but if Leeds stay up, they are likely to try and strengthen in midfield with a Tanaka upgrade. That could spell doom for Longstaff at Leeds.

Maybe he is not the same player he was before his injury. But his change in game time at Leeds is quite telling.

Ao Tanaka to leave Leeds?

Days after their FA Cup quarter-final win over West Ham, reports emerged that Tanaka was considering his Leeds future.

The 27-year-old has also struggled for regular game time this season, a far cry from him being a regular presence in Leeds’ midfield for their Championship-winning campaign last term.

Tanaka has shown moments of quality in the Premier League but sometimes teams have forced him into mistakes with their pressing, as he has less time on the ball than in the Championship.

Tanaka may be trusted in games when Leeds want to be the aggressor, while the more defensively-minded Gruev may be trusted to be a midfield destroyer in their next game away at Manchester United.

Both Tanaka and Longstaff are unlikely to feature heavily in the remainder of the season. But while the former may get a chance to shine, the latter seems like he won’t.