Leeds United have addressed their need for a new midfielder with the arrival of Japanese international Ao Tanaka, but another target may stay put despite his desire to move to Elland Road.
Tanaka, 25, has joined Leeds for a modest fee of £3.4 million and signed a contract through June 2028. The Japanese midfielder has expressed his commitment to helping Leeds secure promotion to the Premier League by May 2025.
This addition fills Leeds’ requirement for a goal-scoring and attacking midfielder, complementing captain Ethan Ampadu as desired by manager Daniel Farke.
Leeds’ transfer activity isn’t over yet. They are also set to secure Isaac Schmidt before the 11 pm deadline on Friday. Schmidt has traveled to Leeds, with an announcement expected soon.
Initially, Leeds targeted Austria’s Dejan Ljubicic as their midfield addition. They made a £3.3 million offer, which was rejected by Koln, and did not pursue further negotiations. Instead, Leeds opted for Tanaka, another international with a similar contract situation and price.
According to Austrian outlet Laola1, Ljubicic is now likely to remain at Koln despite Leeds’ interest. His £7 million asking price has not been met, and although he was keen on joining Leeds, he will stay put for now.
However, Koln will face financial loss as Ljubicic’s contract enters its final six months in January. Non-German clubs can then approach him directly. If Ljubicic does not renew his contract, Leeds could pursue him either on a free transfer next summer or at a reduced price in January.
Tanaka was a target for Leeds last summer as well, demonstrating that the club maintains interest in players across multiple transfer windows. Ljubicic might still be on Leeds’ radar for future transfers.
