Leeds United transfer reveal says it all about what Daniel Farke thinks of Ao Tanaka
Ao Tanaka will be hoping for more Premier League starts in the second half of the season.
Tanaka has been linked with leaving Leeds in recent weeks, although a move never materialised in the winter window.
The Japan international has been left on the bench multiple times this season, with Ilia Gruev being preferred in midfield.
Tanaka has flourished for Leeds when he’s been given the chance, with a highlight being his 96th-minute equaliser against Liverpool on 6 December.
The winter transfer window closed on Monday, but Daniel Farke has now placed a lot of faith in the 27-year-old to step up for the Whites.
Leeds never planned to replace Ao Tanaka
Leeds had a quiet winter transfer window, with the signing of Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Chelsea being the only notable arrival.
Tanaka could have certainly asked for a move away from LS11 due to the fact that he’s fifth in the pecking order for midfielders.
However, The Athletic reported on Tuesday that every position on the pitch was discussed between the club’s hierarchy and Farke in recruitment meetings, apart from central midfield.
| Stat | Ao Tanaka |
| Appearances | 20 |
| Starts | 7 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Pass accuracy | 83.8% |
| Tackles | 17 |
| Interceptions | 12 |
They specifically wanted a left-sided back-up option in defence, but as the window progressed, targets fitting the correct profile in this role failed to materialise.
Although several fans won’t be overly thrilled with how the month has gone, Tanaka will be delighted to get the chance to prove his worth in a Leeds shirt.
After becoming a hero in the Championship-winning campaign, he now has the perfect opportunity to build on some of his performances in the Premier League.
The fact that Leeds didn’t even consider signing a new central midfielder shows how much of a part he can play during the rest of the season.
And it’s safe to say that the Whites were linked with several different targets, despite it now emerging that they didn’t want to replace Tanaka.
Which midfielders were Leeds linked with in the winter transfer window?
Leeds were interested in Martin Baturina, and it felt as though the midfield position was one of their priorities.
Hibernian’s Josh Mulligan was an alternative option, with Nottingham Forest also showing some intent to sign him.
However, it felt clear that the Scottish outfit wasn’t prepared to let him go mid-season.
Eduard Spertsyan was a more attack-minded target, although the addition of Buonanotte meant that the Whites didn’t need to splash the cash on the Armenia international.
Tochukwu Nnadi was also rumoured to be Farke’s shortlist, although Marseille snapped up the Zulte Waregem man on deadline day.
None of those moves were close to being completed, and as a result, Tanaka is certainly the biggest beneficiary.
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