Leeds United have pulled off a huge transfer coup - missing out on Gus Hamer wasn't all that bad | OneFootball

It's funny how football works sometimes - Ao Tanaka has turned from third-choice transfer target to Leeds United star

You don’t always get what you want in life – and sometimes that is for the best.

That is certainly the case for Leeds United, who, despite prioritising other transfer targets, managed to find a gem in Ao Tanaka.

The Japanese midfielder has proven to be a star turn in the heart of Daniel Farke’s midfield, with his swashbuckling displays helping Leeds in their quest for promotion to the Premier League.

Ao Tanaka: From third-choice transfer target to Leeds United star

Tanaka joined Leeds on the final day of the summer transfer window, highlighting just how last-minute his move to Elland Road was in the grand scheme of the summer market.

The Whites had been after Gustavo Hamer for some time, after all.

They had lost out on the then-Coventry City star in the summer of 2023, with the Dutchman choosing Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United – who offered Premier League football in comparison to Leeds’ second-tier status.

Following the Blades’ relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season, the Whites reignited their interest in Hamer, making a reported bid of £13million ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

However, with Sheffield United believing Leeds to be a potential rival in the promotion battle, there was no interest in selling Hamer to their neighbours.

That left Leeds scrambling to find another midfield option, having lost Glen Kamara and Archie Gray during the transfer window.

But even after failing in their pursuit of Hamer, Leeds did not turn to Tanaka.

Instead, they chased FC Koln’s Dejan Ljubicic, seeing a £3.3million bid for the Austrian rejected by the German outfit.

The Whites weighed upping their bid to the £5million mark, but instead decided to go for their third option.

Daniel Farke must be counting his lucky stars that Leeds opted to move for Tanaka, with the £2.9million fee paid to Fortuna Düsseldorf looking like a bargain – especially in comparison to the potential fees reported for either Hamer or Ljubicic.

There was further luck involved in Tanaka’s rise at Elland Road.

After finally being turned to as a transfer target and brought to Yorkshire, it looked like the Japanese international’s role at Leeds would be largely bit-part, offering depth behind starting midfielders Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev.

However, injuries to the pair in October paved the way for Tanaka to become a regular in Farke’s midfield.

Club captain Ampadu missed 12 games between September and December, whilst Gruev was out for over 100 days following surgery on his knee.

That saw Tanaka turn into a role off the bench into one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Even when Ampadu and Gruev returned from injury, Tanaka had clearly done enough to keep his starting berth at Elland Road.

In fact, since being handed his first league start at the beginning of October against Norwich City, Tanaka has started all but one of the following 28 Championship games.

After impressing with his accurate passing, dribbling ability, and willingness to work hard for the team, Tanaka is now showing his creativity.

Aside from the two assists he has produced in the Championship, Tanaka has now added goals to his game – with three strikes in his last 10 appearances, including a scrappy header that effectively won Leeds the match in a key promotion battle with Sheffield United, a clever back-heel to seal a 3-0 win v Sheffield Wednesday and a beautiful curled effort in a draw at Hull City.

No matter the circumstances that led to Tanaka joining Leeds and making his mark on the pitch, Whites fans are beyond overjoyed to see the Japanese international plying his trade at Elland Road and the lust for Hamer in the summer is long gone.