Manchester United are reportedly planning to make a surprise swoop to trump Everton in the race to sign Leeds United star Ao Tanaka, as per TEAMtalk.
After moving to Elland Road from German side Fortuna Düsseldorf in 2024, the 27-year-old helped the Peacocks gain promotion last campaign, making seven goal contributions in 43 Championship appearances.
However, the midfielder has been playing as a rotational option under Daniel Farke this season, scoring four goals in 12 starts across all competitions.
He displayed an excellent performance in Leeds’ 2-1 win over Man Utd on Monday night. Now, TEAMtalk claim that after being impressed by the Japanese international, the Red Devils have registered their interest in signing him.
Having struggled to find regular game time this season, Tanaka is open to leaving to play consistently at this stage of his career.
Purchasing Tanaka won’t be straightforward for United, as Newcastle United and Everton are also interested in him. Apart from the Premier League clubs, Freiburg, Union Berlin, Schalke 04, and Hannover 96 are in this race as well.
However, the player’s preference is to continue in the Premier League as his style of football is perfect for the English top-flight.
Battle
Leeds have slapped a £15m price tag on his head if they are forced to cash-in, with the player’s existing deal set to run until 2028. However, the Whites don’t want to part ways with him and are preparing to keep hold of him by tying him down to a fresh term.
Tanaka is comfortable playing in the defensive midfield and box-to-box roles. He is quick across the ground, tidy with possession, has the ability to chip in with some important goals, and works hard without possession.
With Casemiro set to leave for free this summer, Man Utd have been exploring options to replace the Brazilian. A plethora of names have been linked with a move to Old Trafford over the last few months, with Tanaka now emerging as a new serious option.
It is going to be interesting to see whether the 20-time English champions eventually make a concrete approach to secure Tanaka’s service in the upcoming summer transfer window.
