Ao Tanaka future at risk amid £17.6m Leeds United transfer update
Ao Tanaka has only recently broken back into first-team reckoning at Leeds United.
Relegation is a serious concern for Leeds this season, and a lot of that is down to their poor recruitment in the summer transfer window, attacking-wise at least.
With the signings of Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff, the Whites bolstered their midfield signficantly, though that came at a cost for Tanaka.
Prior to starting in Leeds’ latest defeat to Man City, Tanaka had played just 370 minutes of Premier League football this term, with an exit now possibly on the cards.
Leeds eye Gabriel Sara transfer
Earlier this week, reports from Turkey emerged connecting Leeds United with a move for Gabriel Sara, formerly of Norwich City.
The Brazilian joined Galatasaray in 2024, where he has since established himself as a regular, playing alongside the likes of Victor Osimhen and Leroy Sane.
Sara is said to be keen on the idea of a transfer, with it claimed that a bid in the region of £17.6million would be accepted for the midfielder.
However, his role is very similar to that of Tanaka, which has been used seldomly by Daniel Farke this season.
If Sara were to join, it’s unlikely that Tanaka would be ahead of him in the pecking order, potentially opening up the door for an exit for the Japan international.
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Gabriel Sara was immense for Norwich
Leeds are trying to stay in the Premier League this season, so using a player’s ability in the Championship may seem somewhat irrelevant.
However, Sara’s stats for Norwich were immense last time he was involved.
In his 53 appearances across all competitions, Sara registered 27 goal contributions, which is more than any Leeds player managed last season.
The Brazilian created a remarkable 119 chances in the Championship, which was more than 98.5 per cent of players in the league.
His defensive numbers were also superb, and if the rumours are to turn into action, it would be a shrewd addition.
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