Leeds United eventually filled their midfield vacuum with the deadline-day signing of Ao Tanaka from Fortuna Dusseldorf, but the Japanese star was far from Leeds’ primary choice for the position.
Tanaka, 25, made his debut barely over 24 hours after Leeds announced the 27-time Japanese star’s arrival. He came on as a substitute in the final few minutes of Leeds’ 2-0 victory over Hull City on Saturday at Elland Road.
Fans are ecstatic about the coming of the Japanese celebrity. Tanaka, in particular, has scored goals against Spain at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as well as against Germany. A technically gifted, hardworking player.
However, Tanaka was not the first player Leeds attempted to recruit, as manager Daniel Farke sought a goalscoring midfielder to play alongside captain Ethan Ampadu or Ilia Gruev in holding midfield this season.
Leeds attempted to sign Dejan Ljubicic, but he has stayed put
Ljubicic, 26, was the focus of Leeds’ attention throughout the window. Leeds presented a bid of £3.3 million for the Austrian star, but it fell short of Koln’s asking price of £6 million, and no improved bid arrived.
He has had a great start to 2024-25, scoring four goals and assisting in four games, although his contract expires in 2025. According to Geiss Blog, Koln sporting director Christian Keller has stated that Ljubicic does not want to sign on.
“Dejo and I discussed this quite freely, both at the start of preseason and more recently. His current viewpoint is that he wants to focus on the season and play as much football as he can.”
Could Leeds still be interested in signing Ljubicic?
The signing of Tanaka could indicate that Leeds’ interest has waned. However, the lack of a No.10 arrival at Elland Road suggests that if Ljubicic becomes available in January, Leeds’ interest is likely to persist.
Ljubicic’s midfield versatility has allowed him to play on both flanks, as a no.6 in holding midfield, and as a 10 for the Germans throughout the last year. Ljubicic’s value will only decline in January.
As his contract expires, Leeds will have to make a decision in January. Either move on from Ljubicic, make another bid with Koln likely to request less, or sign the “special” player for free in the summer.
