Leeds United secret well and truly out after transfer masterstroke

The cat may finally be out of the bag at Leeds United. It is a growing mystery to Whites fans as to how their club was able to pick up Ao Tanaka for around £3m this summer.

The Japan international has quickly established himself as one of the better signings the club has made in recent years. Tanaka has rarely offered anything less than an eight-out-of-10 performance in Leeds colours and looks more than capable of Premier League football if necessary.

What has been mystifying is why he was left on the shelf at Fortuna Dusseldorf for so long. Daniel Farke said he wanted to take the midfielder to Elland Road in 2023, but circumstances went in another direction.

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Therefore, Tanaka was on United’s radar and still not taken on by anyone else in Europe through that summer window. And then, this summer, still no club swooped until Leeds made their move at the end of August.

Now, though, it appears his performances are starting to make waves. He may not score, assist or be associated to closely with clean sheets, but Tanaka’s all-round game has seen him nominated for the PFA’s Championship Fan’s Player of the Month for November.

Tanaka is up against Middlesbrough pair Finn Azaz and Emmanuel Latte Lath, Sheffield United’s Tyrese Campbell, Stoke City’s Tom Cannon and Norwich City’s goal machine Borja Sainz. Supporters will decide the vote and Leeds fans can have their say here.

A deadline for voting has not been provided, but the PFA only began advertising the vote yesterday (December 3).