Leeds United beat West Ham in the FA Cup quarter final this past weekend, and have now booked a place at Wembley. They will now face Chelsea later this month.
The match was not that straightforward; the Whites have suffered a late scare at the end of the game. West Ham managed to pull two goals back after 90 minutes to force extra time. Leeds eventually won on penalties, and have now reached the FA Cup semi-final for the first time since the 1980s.
Daniel Farke changed his approach for that game, relying on more first team players instead of rotating. But some players kept their place after starring in previous rounds. One was Ao Tanaka; the Japanese international took his chance against the Hammers, with a goal and an all round performance. Tanaka has been out of the first team for a while, and his game on Sunday should give Farke a decision to make in the upcoming games.
Leeds United star eyes Premier League exit
According to Sky Deutschland, several clubs are lining up a move for Ao Tanaka. Schalke are reportedly keen on the Leeds United midfielder, but are set to face stern competition. The midfielder has found himself on the bench this season, despite being one of the club’s best players last season. The report further adds that several English clubs are interested in the Japanese international.
There are also German clubs keen on bringing Tanaka back to their division – SC Freiburg, Hannover 96 and Union Berlin have all made enquiries. Per the report, the midfielder has a preference to stay in England, which could be relevant when the summer comes around. Leeds are said to be open to selling Ao Tanaka, with a reported £9 million to £11 million price range.
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49ers would be making huge mistake
Leeds have made some bad decisions when it comes to selling players in recent years, and this could be another one. Ao Tanaka is a very solid player, who has shown he can really play at this level. No one really knows why Daniel Farke has chosen to keep him out of the team this season. But in his outings in the cup run, he has shown a lot of promise. And what would be an even worse outcome would be Tanaka joining another club in England and becoming a success, that would really be an embarrassment on the part of the 49ers.
