AliousAccording to reports, Leeds United manager Daniel Farke ‘disagreed’ with the club’s hierarchy over the signing of Ao Tanaka on transfer deadline day. Tanaka, a Japanese international, joined Leeds from Fortuna Düsseldorf, marking the end of a busy summer transfer window for the club.
Leeds needed to strengthen their squad after several key players, including Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray, Glen Kamara and Georginio Rutter, were sold for substantial fees.
Tanaka was one of seven outfield players signed by Leeds, but the report suggests that Farke was not pleased with this particular acquisition.
The Rheinische Post (via GIVEMESPORT) states that Farke disagreed with the Leeds hierarchy over the signing of Tanaka, who was ‘never the first option’ for the club in their search for a new central midfielder.
Leeds were linked with other midfield options, such as Sheffield United’s Gustavo Hamer and Dejan Ljubicic of FC Köln, but were unsuccessful in these pursuits.
Tanaka, who cost Leeds €4m (£3.4m), has spent the previous three seasons with 2. Bundesliga club Düsseldorf, where he recorded 10 goals and eight assists in 95 appearances across all competitions.
The 25-year-old previously played for Kawasaki Frontale in his native Japan, where he enjoyed a similar record of 10 goals and nine assists in 94 outings, winning three J League titles and various domestic cup honors.
The report suggests that Tanaka was not Farke’s first choice, and the manager ‘disagreed’ with the club’s decision to sign him, highlighting potential tensions between the manager and the club’s hierarchy over their transfer strategy.
Alious
