The 49ers, Daniel Farke and Adam Underwood now have the difficult task of sorting through this Leeds United squad and deciding which players they want to keep – and which can be offloaded.
Promotion to the Premier League will see Leeds do whatever they can to keep themselves in the top flight. To consolidate and attempt to establish the club as a top-flight outfit for the foreseeable future.
That means making some difficult decisions on the current playing staff. Some have Premier League experience, some look Premier League-ready, but others who are good enough now, won’t be at the top.
It is telling that Leeds’ big transfer targets this summer are players with Premier League experience. The likes of Newcastle’s Sean Longstaff or just this week, Everton star Beto after shining under David Moyes.
Simon Grayson says Ao Tanaka is already Premier League ready
When Leeds bought Ao Tanaka last summer from Dusseldorf, there was some concern that the Japan star might not be able to cope with the step up. He had only played in Japan, and Germany’s second division.
But of course, fan favourite Tanaka has starred for Leeds and was named Players’ Player of the Season. He was even included in the Championship Team of the Season, and Simon Grayson has now had his say.
Grayson has told Sam Allardyce’s No Tippy Tappy Football podcast that Tanaka is ready-made for the Premier League, even though he has never played in the Premier League before throughout his career.
“Ao Tanaka, he’s such a top player. I think he can play in the Premier League even now. He handles the ball, gets around the pitch, reads the game so well, so composed. He only cost £4m,” Grayson said.
There are some at Leeds who are concerned about Ao Tanaka…
Following promotion, reports say there are some at Leeds who are concerned that Tanaka may not be able to cope physically with the Premier League. Certainly, Tanaka made a few mistakes in recent weeks.
Tanaka himself, however, seems ready. The £3.4m signing posted an emotional message to Leeds fans on Instagram on Wednesday, underlining how he will fight harder than ever to prove himself at the top.
Leeds’ top-five players during 2024-25 according to FotMob:
| Name | FotMob rating | Position among Championship players |
| Junior Firpo | 7.54 | 1st |
| Manor Solomon | 7.50 | 3rd |
| Ao Tanaka | 7.43 | 5th |
| Ethan Ampadu | 7.43 | 6th |
| Jayden Bogle | 7.34 | 14th |
Tanaka’s agent has also made it clear he thinks his client is ready for the Premier League. Of the current squad, there may only be a handful that retain their starting spot but Tanaka will surely be one of them.
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