The Future of Ao Tanaka at Leeds United Hangs in the Balance
Ao Tanaka, the Japanese midfielder who has been a revelation at Leeds United, endured a difficult outing on Saturday afternoon as his team suffered a 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers. Tanaka conceded a penalty, which Todd Cantwell converted to score the only goal of the game.
Tanaka’s performance was uncharacteristically poor, with the midfielder losing nine out of 15 duels, more than any other player on the pitch. This was a stark contrast to his usual brilliance, which has earned him the nickname “Tiger” from his manager, Daniel Farke.
Despite his poor performance on Saturday, Tanaka remains one of the standout players in the Championship. His agent, Marijo Knez, recently stated that Tanaka is ready to play in the Premier League and is surprised that many top-flight clubs have not taken a closer look at him.
“I am firmly convinced that he can make it in the Premier League,” Knez told Fussball News. “Many observers may soon be asking why he only plays in the second English league.”
While Tanaka’s future at Leeds United is uncertain, one thing is clear: if the club fails to achieve promotion to the Premier League, they will be forced to sell some of their top players, including Tanaka.
Angus Kinnear, the Leeds United CEO, has already confirmed that another year without promotion will mean that the club will have to balance the books by selling some of their key players. Tanaka, who was signed for a bargain £3.4m from Dusseldorf, is likely to be one of the players who will attract interest from top-flight clubs.
If Leeds United fails to achieve promotion, they will have to sell two or three major assets to keep afloat. Tanaka, who has been one of the standout players in the Championship this season, will likely be one of the first players to attract interest from top-flight clubs.
In order to keep Tanaka and other key players, Leeds United must achieve promotion to the Premier League. Failure to do so will result in the club being forced to sell some of their top players, which could have a devastating impact on their chances of achieving promotion in the future.
The pressure is on Leeds United to achieve promotion to the Premier League, not just for the financial benefits, but also to keep hold of their top players, including Ao Tanaka.