Leeds United central midfielder Ao Tanaka has been in the spotlight since starting all four of the last four games.
The Japanese international scored in the FA Cup quarter-final against West Ham United against the Hammers at the London Stadium, earning him a starting place in the next three Premier League games.
Over the last three matches, Tanaka has completed 90% of his attempted passes and created a whopping nine chances for his teammates, showing off his technical ability and creativity in the middle of the park.
Leeds are currently unbeaten in their last 10 matches in which the Japanese maestro has started in all competitions. The last time we lost against him was in November, when we lost 3-2 to Manchester City.
He has earned a place in the starting XI and should remain there for the remainder of the 2025/26 season, as the club looks to avoid relegation to the Championship.
Leeds considering signing Premier League star
Tanaka played with a team built primarily on Premier League physical qualities and breathed new life into Leeds’ attack with the on-ball quality he provided.
With his stay looking certain, Los Blancos are given the chance to sign another player like the Japan international who can raise the technical limits of the team.
According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United are one of the clubs approached by Liverpool about a summer deal for attacking midfielder Harvey Elliott.
The Whites are one of five Premier League sides to have heard from the England Under-21 international as they work towards a move for him next summer, the paper said.
He is currently on loan at Aston Villa with a £35m permanent option, but the left-footed star is set to return to Anfield at the end of this season.
TEAMtalk added that Leeds have not yet made a decision on whether they are interested in signing the forward, meaning they are still considering a move.
Harvey Elliott will become Leeds United’s new Ao Tanaka
Manager Daniel Farke chose physicality over technical quality, so Tanaka has been away from the starting lineup as a regular for a long time this season, making only 10 starts in the top league in total.
The Japan international has lost 56% of his matches in the Premier League and is not a force in midfield, but his aforementioned passing accuracy and significant passing output highlight the quality he can provide in possession.
Elliott has only played five Premier League games for Villa this season, but his 90-point performance in 18 games in the division for Liverpool last season shows he has the same technical qualities as Tanaka.
24/25 P.L. | Elliot/90 | Rank vs RW |
|---|---|---|
xG | 0.44 | Top 1% |
the goal | 0.25 | Top 9% |
Shah | 0.16 | Top 16% |
assist | 0.50 | Top 3% |
An opportunity has arisen | 2.50 | Top 5% |
A big opportunity has arisen | 0.25 | Top 26% |
The left-footed wizard, who played as a right-winger and central midfielder for the Reds, ranks higher among his positional colleagues in a number of important metrics, which shows he can be effective in the league.
Things clearly didn’t work out for him at Villa, but Leeds could capitalize on their struggles at Villa Park and inject some creativity into their squad by signing him from Liverpool on short notice this summer.
Elliott, who was once described as “outrageous” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, made 15 goals and 21 assists in 149 appearances for the Reds before being loaned to Villa, and as recently as 2023-24 he assisted nine goals in the Premier League.
No player in Leeds’ current squad has scored more than five goals in the top flight for Farke’s side this season, which suggests they could add more creative players to their group in the summer.
Elliott could therefore be a shrewd addition to the squad as an opportunistic signing after his failed loan deal at Villa, as his past performances at Liverpool suggest he could offer much more than playing a bit part for the Villans.
Leeds could be without ‘key player’ for Chelsea semi-final due to absence from training
Los Blancos could reach the FA Cup final for the first time since the 1970s.
Leeds could then have both Tanaka and Elliott in their squad to provide technical quality and creativity, while other players in the squad could provide the physical attributes the Premier League demands.
