£3.4m Leeds United target 'missing' from club training as 'concrete offer' received

Speculation surrounding Ao Tanaka looks set to intensify in the coming days with suggestions from Germany that he was absent from Fortuna Dusseldorf training on Wednesday.

Tanaka re-emerged as a target for Leeds United earlier this week, with a starting-quality central midfielder at the top of their summer shopping list ever since Glen Kamara’s £8million move to Stade Rennais. Manager Daniel Farke is a big fan of the 25-year-old and, as shown by the arrival of Joe Rothwell on loan from Bournemouth, is keen to add a more attacking element to his midfield pairing.

The Daily Mail reported on Tuesday that Leeds were set to trigger Tanaka’s £2.65million release clause and while German media has since questioned the presence of such a clause, they insist a move would not cost much more than the aforementioned price. BILD reported on Wednesday morning that Dusseldorf could accept less than €4m (£3.4m) and the same outlet has now revealed the Japan international’s absence from training.

Tanaka is said to be the only absence from Dusseldorf’s Wednesday session, with the German club’s official reason being that he is simply unavailable to train. But BILD add that a ‘concrete offer’ has been received, suggesting the midfielder is being kept from a possible injury that could jeopardise a move.

Dusseldorf are clear to state Tanaka is not absent from training in protest, adding that he ‘has always behaved correctly’ despite intensifying speculation. The goalscoring midfielder has featured in all three of his side’s 2. Bundesliga matches this season, including an excellent performance during Sunday’s 2-1 win at Ulm.

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Tanaka would fill a major gap in the Leeds squad and confirm Farke’s move to change the midfield dynamic, with the Whites boss making no secret of his desire for more goals - Ilia Gruev scored the only goal from central midfield during the play-off semi-final second-leg win over Norwich City. On-loan Rothwell carries an improved attacking threat compared to Kamara, and Tanaka’s profile is very similar.

Should Leeds step up their pursuit, then they will be in a strong position, given the midfielder is into the final year of his contract at Dusseldorf. The German second-tier outfit are described as ‘cash-strapped’ in the report and so cannot risk losing one of their most valuable assets for free in 12 month’s time.

Elland Road chiefs would consider the previously reported £2.65m as a bargain, and even without the release clause, BILD expected any move to come in at less than £3.4m which could represent excellent value for a fully-fledged international who is more than good enough for top-flight football. Leeds have identified a number of targets in similar situations as Tanaka, with a clear eye on players with contracts expiring in 2025.

Their two most recent permanent signings, Jayden Bogle and Largie Ramazani, had entered the final year of their respective contracts at Sheffield United and UD Almeria, joining for a combined £15m. Midfield target Dejan Ljubicic and recently-emerging option Roland Sallai will also see their current deals, at 1. FC Koln and SC Freiburg respectively, expire next summer, opening up the opportunity of a cut-price deal.