It was a furious Michael Carrick who saw Lisandro Martinez sent off ten minutes after half-time, and Leeds defending to a 1-2 win at Old Trafford last weekend. The two clubs are bitter rivals, three lost points also came very inconveniently, now that the Champions League ticket looked “secure”. Carrick still got a Leeds player he would have liked.
As the 25/26 Premier League season draws to a close, Leeds United midfielder Ao Tanaka finds himself at the centre of growing transfer speculation. The 27-year-old, who joined the Whites from Fortuna Düsseldorf on a £2.9m deal in 2024, has seen limited opportunities on the first-team pitch under Daniel Farke this season. According to Teamtalk’s sources , Carrick was impressed with Tanaka’s performance on Monday, as Japanese player and captain Ethan Ampadu got the better of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte for much of the game, especially in the first half. The midfielder was also denied a second goal in as many games thanks to excellent last-minute defending by Lisandro Martinez.
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Tanaka’s energetic style of play – especially in Monday’s historic 2-1 win over Manchester United – has nevertheless reminded the scouts of his value as a tenacious ball-winner in central midfield. According to Teamtalk’s sources , the Japanese international is also linked to Manchester United.
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Multiple sources indicate that Tanaka is open to leaving Elland Road this summer in search of more regular game time after a season of frustration at Elland Road. Leeds are open for sale at £15 million.
