Leeds United are looking to make it successive wins in the Championship when they play host to Hull City at Elland Road in their fourth league game of the season on Saturday.
The Whites beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 last week, thanks to goals from Brenden Aaronson and Dan James, and are now preparing to take on the Tigers in West Yorkshire.
Before that game, however, there is the small matter of the last two days of the summer transfer window for Daniel Farke and his recruitment team to contend with.
Leeds have been dealt many blows in recent months as key players have moved on, with Georginio Rutter, Crysencio Summerville, and Archie Gray all snapped up by Premier League clubs, whilst Glen Kamara completed a switch to Ligue 1 with Rennes.
Farke has been able to dip into the market to add to his squad, though, with the signings of Alex Cairns, Jayden Bogle, Joe Rodon, Largie Ramazani, Joe Rothwell, and Manor Solomon.
The Whites are not done there and look set to make further moves before the summer transfer window slams shut on Friday night, with a central midfielder said to be on their wishlist.
Leeds set to sign midfield star
According to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Leeds United are set to complete a last-gasp deal to sign Fortuna Dusseldorf central midfielder Ao Tanaka, who he described as a "top" player.
The reporter claims that a fee of €4m (£3.4m) has been agreed between the two clubs and the Whites are now due to bolster their midfield ranks with this late swoop.
Plettenberg adds that the Japan international is set to sign a contract with the English side through to the end of the 2027/28 campaign, committing to four years with the club.
The German journalist also reveals that the 25-year-old maestro will undergo a medical in Leeds on Thursday ahead of his official unveiling as Farke's new signing.
It was, though, reported by the Daily Mail recently that the Fortuna midfielder has a release clause in his contract, which means that he could have been signed for £2.65m.
However, this latest update suggests that the Whites are due to pay a little bit more than that, potentially as it would allow them to stagger the payments over multiple years, instead of it all being upfront.
The Daily Mail added that the West Yorkshire outfit have been looking to add to their midfield ranks since Kamara's move to Rennes, and Tanaka could now come in as an upgrade on the Ligue 1 ace.
Glen Kamara's performances for Leeds
Leeds swooped to sign the central midfielder from Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers at the start of the 2023/24 campaign, and he enjoyed a fine year with the club.
The Finland international worked his way into the starting XI and became a key player for Farke in the team's run to the Championship play-off final.
His athleticism and reliability in possession made him an ideal fit for the German's possession-based side, as he turned into a metronomic figure in midfield for the Whites.
Appearances
37
Goals
0
Assists
3
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.9
Duel success rate
58%
As you can see in the table above, Kamara used his athleticism and strength to win the majority of his physical duels across the pitch last season.
However, the 28-year-old dynamo only contributed with three direct goal involvements, and failed to score a single goal, in 37 appearances in the division, which shows that he did not make a big impact in the final third.
Kamara was impressive in possession in deeper positions, however, as he ranked within the top 2% of midfielders in the Championship for pass accuracy (92.7%) and the top 6% for progressive passes (6.87) per 90.
This shows that he was a reliable passer, who rarely gave the ball away, and a midfielder who could progress play by passing between the lines to find teammates in dangerous positions.
Overall, Kamara provided a calming and progressive presence in the middle of the park but let himself down by not making a greater impact in the final third as either a scorer or a creator of goals, and that is where Tanaka could come in as an upgrade for the Whites.
Why Ao Tanaka would be a Glen Kamara upgrade
Firstly, a fee of £2.65m – if they activate his release clause – could be a bargain for Leeds, when you consider that Rennes reportedly paid £8.4m to sign the Finnish maestro.
The Japanese ace could come in as a relatively cheap, in comparison to Kamara's sale, signing for the Whites, as well as being an excellent signing if he can translate his form from the 2. Bundesliga over to the Championship.
In the 2023/24 campaign, Tanaka ranked within the top 14% of midfielders in the second division in Germany for progressive passes (5.66) per 90 – 1.21 fewer per 90 than Kamara, who attempted 11.19 more passes per 90.
This suggests that the Fortuna star could provide a similar number of progressive passes each game in a Leeds team that offers him more chances to get on the ball and play passes forward for his teammates.
Whilst being similar in that regard, Tanaka could come in as an upgrade on Kamara because of his ability to make things happen in the final third.
Appearances
30
Goals
7
Assists
3
Big chances created
6
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.0
As you can see in the table above, the Fortuna maestro was directly involved in ten goals in 30 matches in the 2. Bundesliga last season, which shows that he can provide quality as a scorer and a creator of goals.
His return of three assists from six 'big chances' created also suggests that his teammates let him down at times with their wasteful finishing.
Tanaka, who journalist Bence Bocsák described as "underrated", could come in and offer a similar defensive and progressive presence in midfield, whilst offering far more in the final third.
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This is why he could be a "top" – per Plettenberg – upgrade on Kamara this season once Leeds get him through the door after his medical today.