Leeds United may have struck gold with deal to sign "new Jude Bellingham" - View | OneFootball

FLW assess Leeds United's signing of Ao Tanaka from Fortuna Dusseldorf on deadline day.

Leeds United's Ao Tanaka has previously been likened to Jude Bellingham during his stint in Germany with Fortuna Düsseldorf, and could be a fantastic acquisition for Daniel Farke's side.

Prior to him signing, Leeds’ depth in midfield consisted of Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, Joe Rothwell, and a young Charlie Crew. After the departures of Kamara and Archie Gray earlier in the window, signing another midfielder was paramount, even if only for improved squad depth.

The Japanese international midfielder is likely to be much more than that. In signing him, Leeds have secured the services of a long-term target, after links emerged to Tanaka last summer before Leeds signed Gruev and Kamara instead late in the window.

The bold comparisons to Bellingham may be getting carried away somewhat, but he gives the West Yorkshire outfit another dimension since signing, with his goalscoring ability and tendency to command a game from the engine room something lacking in Leeds’ squad of late.

As mentioned, Tanaka was said to be gaining interest from the Elland Road outfit last summer, with Leeds apparently tabling a bid that was swiftly rejected before Tanaka picked up an injury that scuppered any potential move.

However, earlier this summer, reports in Japan from sports outlet Hochi claimed that the 25-year-old has several admirers from clubs across Europe ahead of the next campaign, with Farke’s side said to have reignited their interest from last summer.

Leeds United sign Ao Tanaka from Fortuna Dusseldorf

Graham Smyth of The Yorkshire Evening Post revealed that both Leeds and Farke were aligned and keen on the Japanese international ahead of Friday's transfer deadline last week.

Leeds announced it on the final day of the window, with Tanaka penning a four-year deal until 2028 at Elland Road. He could be a key player for the Whites in the season to come, especially as he can add the goals and assists that lacked from the likes of Kamara, Gray, and Gruev last term.

Tanaka registered 12 goal contributions for Düsseldorf in 36 appearances in all competitions from midfield, highlighting his contribution towards his team’s attacking output; although he tended to find himself deployed in a deeper role during the season, which is where the Whites need more direct goal output from themselves.

One of Leeds' biggest issues last season was regarding the number of goals scored by midfielders, but a player who is capable of playing deeper but with good distance shooting and ball-striking to spread the goals around the team further must be high on the club's priorities, to help ease the burden on their attacking talent.

Not only did he score regularly for his club side recently, but with eight goals in 27 appearances for his national side, Tanaka has proven he has an eye for goal, as well as being capable of performing on the highest stage as well. He claimed an injury-time goal in a 4-1 demolition of Germany as recently as last September.

Rothwell should be a shrewd loan signing in his own right, but given his profile and likely cost in the last year of his deal, it was a no-brainer forLeeds to look into signing Tanaka once again this summer to compete with the Englishman in the No.8 role of Farke's midfield base.

He could be an incredibly cost-effective player and bargain at the price they have picked him up for in adding something different to their double-pivot. Tanaka was one of the best players in the 2. Bundesliga last term, which should translate well to English football's second tier.

The profile Leeds are signing in Ao Tanaka

He is not the best defensive player, lacking some of the robustness to be a true holding midfielder, but should slot in perfectly alongside Ampadu. Partnered with a player who wins plenty of his aerial duels and individual battles, they should complement each other well for Leeds.

Off the ball, Tanaka can have some good moments. He appears to read the game quite well and in all the defensive actions he picks up decent defensive positions. His intensity also helps in this regard, as Tanaka is a fairly ‘busy’ player in defensive situations, if not always standing out in that respect.

He brings a wealth of experience at a peak-age, having played 27 times for Japan, including a famous goal against Spain at the World Cup in Qatar. He has also played regularly in Germany for a team vying for promotion in the last couple of seasons after moving from Kawasaki Frontale, where he had already built a strong reputation for himself.

His general profile is of a player with a fairly athletic build, but also the technical quality and combativeness to slot in at the base of Farke’s midfield duo in the Championship. His ball-winning abilities will ease the burden on Ampadu, but also provide a different dimension to Gruev, who himself is a holding midfielder, with Leeds needing more of a box-to-box presence.

The Japanese midfielder should form a new-look pivot with Ampadu, and Tanaka has enough mobility and a good all-round skill-set for a midfielder to perform that role well. His main upside will come in possession, as he can carry the ball, but most importantly, he has an eye for a pass and real composure.

That should help him to impact games through every third of play, including receiving the ball from the centre-backs, but also keeping teams pinned in the final third. Tanaka is a controlling influence, who will demand the ball and show intent to move it forwards, whilst also having the intelligence to slow down the tempo and retain possession when required, too.

He is also capable of getting into good shooting positions around the box, which perhaps explains the Bellingham comparison, as he has the ability to crash the box well and can be a threat when shooting from distance in time and space, or deflecting a shot through a crowd in any direction.

This is because, like Bellingham, he has the ability to create space for himself with the ball and set himself well for clean and powerful strikes. His engine is good, and he is secure in possession, despite not being the tallest or most physical player in the squad. Alongside Rothwell, he should add another dynamic to Leeds' midfield, with the required thrust and drive to affect games with goal contributions.

He’s a good all-round midfield profile in most respects at second tier level in Germany, whilst his composure and intensity should set him apart from many midfielders at Championship level in England, should he adapt, and his performances translate to Leeds.

Even in a short cameo after the 86th minute, he looks to be a fairly versatile midfielder, who is able to receive and play in all phases of play, which was seen on Saturday at 2-0 against Hull City. Tanaka demands the ball and uses both feet to work it into advanced areas, albeit the match situation was less-pressurised at 2-0, thus ideal for a player to make their debut.

For the reported fee involved of around €4 million (£3.4 million), it ought to be one of the best transfer deals of the summer for Leeds, who may well have struck gold. They have signed a peak-age player with plenty of the required attributes to be a good performer in a dominant team, whose output in terms of his ability to shoot around the box and passing range should come in handy against sides who choose to sit deep.