Ao Tanaka primed for Leeds exit in summer as Daniel Farke makes feelings clear
Ao Tanaka looks certain to leave Leeds United at the end of the season as he struggles for minutes in the Premier League.
Tanaka was an unused substitute on Saturday evening as Leeds lost 1-0 to Manchester City at Elland Road.
Antoine Semenyo scored the only goal of the game, sliding in to convert Rayan Ait-Nouri’s cross in the dying moments of the first half.
Daniel Farke’s side pushed hard for an equaliser in the second period, but didn’t manage to find the breakthrough, with Tanaka watching on from the sidelines.
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Daniel Farke has made Ao Tanaka decision
Tanaka has made 20 Premier League appearances for Leeds this season, but has only been included in the starting line-up seven times.
Farke has often preferred to use the likes of Ilia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu in the middle, restricting the game time of the Japanese international.
However, across February, Tanaka didn’t play a single top-flight minute for the Whites.
The Elland Road outfit had four Premier League games in that time, against Man City, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, with the midfielder an unused substitute for every single one.
Tanaka was also left on the bench against Arsenal at the end of January, meaning he hasn’t featured in the league for the last five matches.
Farke has clearly determined that he has better options than the 27-year-old, and his career at Elland Road could well be coming to an end.
Ao Tanaka set for summer exit
If Tanaka fails to find a way back into the team before the end of the season, then he will surely depart in the summer.
The Japanese midfielder made 43 appearances in the Championship last term and was a key part of the title-winning side.
Therefore, it would be no surprise if Tanaka pushes for an exit before the start of next season, to get back to his best elsewhere.
His current contract runs until the end of the 2027-28 campaign, so Leeds could still get a decent sum of money for the midfielder.
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