Leeds United rekindle midfield interest after 'bid rejected' as Whites flop eyed by Premier League trio
Your round-up of the latest Leeds United stories as Daniel Farke prepares for another busy summer at Elland Road.
Leeds United look set for another busy summer as preparations get underway for a second season of Championship football, following Sunday’s crushing 1-0 play-off final defeat against Southampton at Wembley. Those in charge at Elland Road planned for a two-year stay in the second-tier but it is no secret that tough decisions will have to be made as the club looks to balance the books and invest in the playing squad.
The club are not in financial crisis by any means, however, and while the early summer focus will be on raising funds through player sales, chairman Paraag Marathe has insisted that the squad will be strengthened going into a second 46-game promotion push. The summer transfer window opens on June 14 but plans are already being mapped out, and the YEP has rounded up some of the latest stories to come out of Elland Road.
Tanaka return
Leeds are among several clubs to be linked with fresh summer interest in Fortuna Dusseldorf midfielder Ao Tanaka, a player they were thought to have been keen on last year. Japanese outlet Hochi reports that several clubs have ‘made inquiries’ and it is expected Tanaka will move on this summer, after Dusseldorf missed out on the chance to be promoted to the Bundesliga.
Leeds were heavily linked with a move for Tanaka last summer, with some reports in Germany even suggesting a bargain bid had been rejected by Dusseldorf. The 23-year-old then went on to register seven goals and three assists in the 2. Bundesliga, the kind of contribution badly lacking from midfield at Elland Road.
Tanaka will enter the final 12 months of his contract this summer and is looking increasingly likely to leave Dusseldorf, although competition for his signature will be intense. The top-two Bundesliga teams, Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart are thought to be eyeing a potential move, with Borussia Monchengladbach, Mainz and Premier League club Everton also named in the report.
McKennie Premier League interest
Midfield looks to be a priority for Everton with reports also naming them among three Premier League clubs chasing Weston McKennie. Italian outlet Tutto Juve names the Toffees alongside European hopefuls Aston Villa and Newcastle United in exploring the possibility of bringing the American back to England.
McKennie joined Leeds on loan last January, joining the likes of Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson and manager Jesse March at Elland Road. But the 25-year-old was unable to make a significant contribution as relegation loomed, eventually returning to parent club Juventus having not been accepted by United supporters.
But a sensational return to the top-fight has now been mooted with Juventus reportedly willing to accept an offer between £17-21m. Everton, Villa, and Newcastle are said to be fans of the 25-year-old’s ‘flexibility’, having seen him play in midfield and wing-back at different points this season.