Ao Tanaka transfer clause emerges at Leeds United after promotion
Leeds United are finally on their way back to the Premier League.
Daniel Farke’s men gained automatic promotion in style with a 6-0 victory over Stoke City, while Burnley took care of Sheffield United on Easter Monday.
Those in West Yorkshire are still enjoying the celebrations, but soon enough, it will be time to focus on the summer transfer window ahead of a new period.
Ao Tanaka transfer clause revealed
Although the 49ers were involved in Leeds the last time they were in the Premier League, their stake has increased since then, meaning this could be a big summer.
The owners are likely to put a fair amount of money behind Farke in the hope of retaining a place in the top flight and establishing themselves as a Premier League side once more.
That being said, the Whites will have to be measured in their business and make sure they are financially shrewd in the moves that they make to strengthen the side.
The bad news for Leeds is that, while they have achieved their aims, the results of that success come at a cost.
According to Darren Witcoop (22 April), Leeds will have to pay Fortuna Dusseldorf a cash bonus due to a clause in the deal they struck to sign Ao Tanaka.
The cost of that is yet to be revealed, although Swansea are set to receive a further £1.8million for Joel Piroe, but his four goals on Monday raked in far more than that.
Tanaka worth the cost for Leeds United
Leeds certainly won’t be keen to waste money in the summer transfer window, but they wouldn’t have struck any deals that they aren’t able to financially stretch to.
In addition to this, if you consider how successful Tanaka’s debut season in West Yorkshire has been, there surely won’t be many who feel aggrieved to fork out as a result of his involvement.
| Apperances | Goals | Assists |
| 41 | 4 | 2 |
There will be plenty of work for Farke to do during the transfer window, and he has to make sure his squad is upgraded to reflect a move upwards in the football pyramid.
Tanaka isn’t someone with Premier League experience, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be able to adapt to the top flight, the way he has adapted to English football with Leeds already.
The future of Farke himself has been mooted already due to his previous struggles in the Premier League, although it is expected that Leeds will stand by him.
The boss will have to be brutal in his axing of some players, but surely he will be looking at the talent he has, too, eager to build upon that going forward.