Ao Tanaka news at Leeds United must put Ipswich Town and Coventry City on red alert | OneFootball

Ao Tanaka could leave Leeds United for a bargain transfer fee this summer, which has to heavily interest Coventry City and Ipswich Town.

Coventry City and Ipswich Town must utilise the summer transfer window to heavily bolster their respective squads, should they clinch promotion to the Premier League.

The Sky Blues are closing in on the Championship title, whereas the Tractor Boys are in the driving seat to seal automatic promotion alongside Frank Lampard's men.

Coventry hold a 12-point lead over second-place Ipswich with just five games remaining, while Kieran McKenna's side have two games in hand on both the Sky Blues and fellow top-two chasers Middlesbrough and Millwall.

Boro and the Lions are both level on points with the Tractor Boys, but the games in hand that the Suffolk outfit have give them a major advantage.

Leeds United ace Ao Tanaka could be available for a bargain price this summer - Ipswich Town and Coventry City must look to capitalise

Ipswich successfully beat Leeds United to a Premier League spot at the end of the 2023/24 season, which saw McKenna's men complete the remarkable feat of back-to-back promotions from League One to the top flight.

However, a year later, the Tractor Boys were relegated from the Premier League, whereas the Whites lifted the Championship title.

Ipswich's summer transfer activity in 2024 never gave them a fighting chance of avoiding an immediate second-tier return, and the Portman Road club ultimately finished 19th, picking up just 22 points.

In contrast, Leeds recruited relatively well last summer, and currently sit four points clear of the Premier League relegation zone with seven fixtures remaining.

Should the Whites successfully avoid the drop, their transfer activity should inspire both the Tractor Boys and Coventry to sufficiently strengthen their squads ahead of next season, should they both seal promotion.

One knock-on effect of Leeds' busy summer, though, is that some of last term's Championship title-winning heroes, including Ao Tanaka, have endured a lack of game time this season.

The Japan international has made just seven Premier League starts for Daniel Farke's men this term.

According to Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg via X, Tanaka is open to leaving Elland Road this summer, and could leave for as little as £8.7million if the Whites are willing to facilitate his exit.

Plettenberg's report added that the 27-year-old is currently favouring a move to another Premier League club, but Bundesliga outfit Freiburg are also interested.

Despite his lack of minutes, the deep-lying midfielder has been able to show glimpses of his quality, and scored in Leeds' FA Cup quarter-final victory over West Ham United on Easter Sunday.

Coventry and Ipswich should be equally enthused by the prospect of signing Tanaka for a relatively cheap price, as he previously proved he was too good for the Championship, and has earned some Premier League experience this campaign.

Lampard and McKenna both know that they have plenty of work to do to equip their sides for life in the top flight, and acquiring the former Dusseldorf man would surely bolster their respective survival chances.

Coventry's Matt Grimes has consistently proven himself as one of the best midfielders in the Championship throughout his time with both the Sky Blues and his former club, Swansea City.

However, the 30-year-old has not featured in the top flight since making one Premier League appearance for the Swans in the 2015/16 season.

Tanaka's significantly more recent top-tier experience would make him a more ideal option than Grimes next season, and the Japan international could complement Frank Onyeka well.

Onyeka's loan move to the CBS Arena is set to become permanent if his side clinch promotion.

Meanwhile, Ipswich will be hopeful that Azor Matusiwa can adjust to the Premier League, having previously played top-flight football in both France and the Netherlands.

But fellow Tractor Boys midfielder Dan Neil, who joined on loan from Sunderland in January, has been deemed surplus to requirements by the Black Cats since their top-flight return.

His contract at the Stadium of Light expires this summer, meaning that Ipswich could acquire him on a free transfer, but Tanaka presents himself as a better alternative.

The Japan international's tenacity, work ethic, and creativity could help either the Tractor Boys or Coventry stay in the Premier League, albeit that is a tough ask.

Leeds United could be left envious if Ao Tanaka shines for either Coventry City or Ipswich Town

Leeds' ultimate goal this term is to retain their Premier League status, and they will be relieved to achieve that feat, regardless of which players help them over the line.

Meanwhile, if Farke continues to favour the likes of Anton Stach and Ethan Ampadu over Tanaka, the Japan international will surely push for an exit.

That scenario would open the door for both Coventry and Ipswich to add a quality midfielder to their ranks, who could help them avoid an unwanted Championship return.