‘The Leader’ played his last game for the club after links with Leeds United, 49ers told to pay £3m

Reports have emerged that the club owe £190m in player transfers and while the sales of Tyler Adams and Luis Sinisterra, as well as second-year parachute payments may help pay, it will need to be more a lot.

Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray and Willy Gnonto have so far been linked with summer moves. But Ethan Ampadu has told Leeds fans he will be at the club at the start of next season.

Ilia Gruev has been linked with a move to Dortmund, having already rejected a bid from a Premier League club, and the Bulgarian’s exit would leave a hole in midfield, one that would need to be replaced.

The Leeds target played his last game for the club, will cost £3m

One midfielder who could be brought in as a replacement is Japanese star Ao Tanaka. The Dusseldorf talent saw his side lose in the second-tier Bundesliga play-offs last month and is now set to leave the club.

Bild report that Tanaka, 26, is ready to leave Dusseldorf with Germany’s second-tier side well below the standard of a regular Japan international, having captained his country in the 2023-24 campaign.

They claim Dusseldorf are resigned to losing their star midfielder and will accept bids of £3million. A year after the German side rejected a £3.2million bid from Leeds to lure the versatile ‘leader’ to Elland Road.

Tanaka is a solid signing and draws comparisons to Jude Bellingham

One thing Leeds lacked during the 2023-24 campaign was goals from midfield. Ampadu got two, a brace in the FA Cup, while Glen Kamara failed to score. Archie Gray had an effort deflected against Leicester.

Gruev scored a crucial goal against Norwich in the play-off semi-finals, but that was his only effort. Two league goals between our four central midfielders is not enough and that would change with Tanaka.

Technically excellent but superb in terms of stamina to get back and defend, he had a hand in 12 goals last season. He has been matched with Jude Bellingham in 2022 by the Bundesliga’s official website.

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