Leeds closing in on transfer for World Cup star compared to Jude Bellingham

28 August 2023 , 13:47

1101     0

Leeds are reportedly close to signing Japan midfielder Ao Tanaka (Image: Frederic Scheidemann/Getty Images)

Leeds United have entered negotiations with Fortuna Dusseldorf with a view to signing Japan midfielder Ao Tanaka ahead of this week's transfer deadline.

Reports from German outlet BILD (via LeedsLive ) suggest that Tanaka is poised to leave the Bundesliga 2 club - and while top-flight side Stuttgart have also shown interest - it appears that Leeds' higher bid could ultimately prevail. With the recent departures of Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson, Marc Roca, West McKennie and Adam Forshaw, the Championship promotion hopefuls are desperate for midfield reinforcements.

Leeds confirmed the arrival of Joel Piroe from Swansea last week, with the striker following former Chelsea midfielder Ethan Ampadu in joining the club. Daniel Farke's side seem poised for a busy end to the transfer window.

Bundesliga side Stuttgart recently made an offer of approximately £2.3 million, including bonuses, for Tanaka which was rejected by Dusseldorf. It is believed that Leeds have made a bigger bid for the 24-year-old, who has been compared to Jude Bellingham in Germany.

While no agreement has been reached at this stage, reports indicate that Dusseldorf manager Klaus Allofs and sporting director Christian Weber are engaged in discussions with Leeds to finalise a deal that would exceed Stuttgart's bid. Tanaka's profile rose during the World Cup in Qatar, where he played a pivotal role in Japan's success.

Erling Haaland's agent details Man City exit plan and club she must say "yes" to

He scored a crucial goal against Spain, helping his country secure a place in the knockout stage of the competition as group winners. In the process, Japan eliminated Germany, Tanaka's adopted homeland.

Tanaka hails from Kawasaki, Japan, and began his professional football career at his local side Kawasaki Frontale. At the age of 20, he achieved success by winning the J1 League title and went on to have a breakout season in 2019.

Tanaka became the first Kawasaki Frontale player to win the J League Rookie of the Year award as his team secured another league victory. In the summer of 2021, he made the move to Dusseldorf on a season-long loan deal.

Tanaka has earned comparisons with England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham

His impressive performances in midfield led to a permanent deal on a three-year contract the following years. In Germany, he has drawn comparisons to Bellingham, the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder who joined Real Madrid this summer.

Like Bellingham, Tanaka is a box-to-box midfielder who excels at defending and intercepting attacks while also contributing offensively. A Bundesliga.com feature praised the player for having the ability to drive forward with the ball, penetrate defences and score crucial goals while being a leader within the Dusseldorf team.

Leeds are 13th in the Championship after four games after securing their first win of the season against Ipswich Town at the weekend. The Whites grabbed a 4-3 victory at Portman Road.

This article was crafted with the help of AI tools, which speed up Mirror.co.uk's editorial research. A content editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected].

James Smailes