Fortuna Dusseldorf sporting director Klaus Allofs has been quoted by BILD as saying that midfielder Ao Tanaka was desperate to leave amid a bid from Leeds United – but Tanaka’s asking price was not met.
Tanaka, 24, has spent the last two seasons on loan at Dusseldorf. Initially joining the German side on loan in 2021, he joined permanently a year later. Last winter, he starred for Japan at the World Cup.
He scored the winner against Spain in a 2-1 win to send Japan into the last 16, assisted by Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma. This summer, Tanaka emerged as a target for Leeds in the final week of the window.
BILD say Leeds did outbid Stuttgart’s initial £2.3m offer – and a transfer was expected. But the latest report states that no interested parties managed to exceed his £2.6m asking price. So, he stayed put.
Allofs has spoken out on the Japan star’s failed move away from Dusseldorf in the summer. He says that the club didn’t want to sell, but that he wanted to move himself to establish his place in the Japan side.
“We don’t necessarily want to get rid of Ao. It was his wish to change. Also to play first-class and thus secure his place in the national team. But that couldn’t be realised,” Allofs said, when discussing Tanaka.
Klaus Allofs: Ao Tanaka was desperate to leave amid Leeds bid
Leeds, instead, moved for two other central midfielders. They came in the form of Bulgaria’s Ilia Gruev from Werder Bremen and widely-experienced Finland ace Glen Kamara – costing a combined £11m.
It is clear that Leeds have decided to move for Gruev and Kamara over Tanaka – who is only likely to have been a back-up option. Tanaka would have been a solid signing, but Kamara and Gruev are better.
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