Leeds: Farke could sign £2.5m Glen Kamara partner in late move

The Whites could secure an “effective” new midfield pairing with this double swoop.

Leeds United continue to push ahead with new acquisitions as deadline day looms, with a midfield rebuild clearly Daniel Farke’s area of priority…

Who could Leeds United sign?

Whilst Ethan Ampadu and Archie Gray have struck up a fine partnership to kickstart the Championship season, the Whites did only claim their first victory last weekend, at their fourth time of asking.

Whilst this campaign may well be a transformative one, they cannot allow it to pass them by given the growing financial devastation that a lengthy spell at their current level could bring.

This potential future seems to have spooked the new boss, who seems intent on boosting his squad with less than a week before the window slams shut. Although their pursuit of Glen Kamara has dominated headlines of late, there is another midfielder that has now come onto their radar.

As outlined by German outlet BILD, the Yorkshire outfit have reportedly submitted a bid to sign Japan international Ao Tanaka from Fortuna Düsseldorf.

Football Transfers value the combative midfield general at just €3m (£2.5m), suggesting that another coup could soon be attained.

What is Ao Tanaka good at?

Whilst a relatively unknown name at club level, many likely are aware of his exploits for his national team, as the man heavily involved in Japan’s success at the recent World Cup.

In fact, there was one particular moment that drew plenty of attention, as he was the scorer of their controversial winner against Spain, which saw Germany crash out at the group stages and the Samurai Blue escape the ‘group of death’ unscathed.

That competition saw the midfielder shine, with his exploits lauded by journalist Josh Bunting: “Ao Tanaka has stood out at this World Cup, only joined Fortuna Düsseldorf this year but they must be hiding behind the sofa as teams will be on high alert. Links play extremely well, effective in both games against Germany and Spain, made them tick from midfield in those two clashes.”

However, it is his fine start to the 2. Bundesliga campaign that will have truly caught Farke’s eye, starring as a defensive powerhouse in the engine room consistently thwarting opposition attacks.

This has fed into his 7.10 average rating, buoyed by his 85% pass accuracy, three tackles and exceptional 7.3 ball recoveries per game, via Sofascore.

To place such defensive impetus beside the metronomic presence Kamara promises to bring, and immediately the Yorkshire outfit would boast one of the most well-balanced midfields in the division.

After all, the 2021/22 season saw the Finland international shine in the Scottish Premiership, with his six goal contributions and 91% pass accuracy, via Sofascore, outlining him as a composed presence.

When handed the ideal environment, not only can the 27-year-old dictate the tempo of the entire match, but he clearly also has the intelligence and quality to push forward and threaten in attack.

In one fell swoop, Farke could be set to pad his midfield with two experienced internationals who have shone for their respective clubs of late, combining at Elland Road to provide the foundation for unbridled success in the near future.

Tanaka is hard-working and tenacious, whilst Kamara is economical and incisive. Putting them both on the same side could be a problem for the rest of the league, and allow their fluid front four to terrorise defences with regularity.