Leeds United strolled to a comfortable 3-0 win over Plymouth Argyle on Saturday in the Championship to move up into second place in the table.
The Whites did not allow the away side to register a single shot on goal throughout the 90 minutes and scored all three goals in the first half, which speaks to their dominance in West Yorkshire.
Daniel Farke’s side have only lost one of their opening 13 matches in the division, a 1-0 defeat to Burnley at Elland Road, and they must remain consistent to secure an automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.
Leeds fell short in the play-offs in the 2023/24 campaign, losing 1-0 to Southampton in the final at Wembley, after finishing third in the regular season.
The West Yorkshire outfit have had to deal with a number of injury issues already this season to disrupt their progress, though, as Ethan Ampadu, Max Wober, and Ilia Gruev have been sidelined with long-term blows, whilst Dan James recently missed a month with a hamstring injury.
With the January transfer window on the horizon, Leeds are reportedly looking at a player who could bolster their options in the middle of the park.
Leeds interested in English dynamo
Despite signing Josuha Guilavogui on a free transfer last month, the Whites are said to be interested in signing another central midfielder to add depth to the squad.
According to The Sun, Leeds are keen on Lewis O’Brien and could look to bring him over to Elland Road when the January transfer window opens for business.
The report claims that Farke’s side and fellow Championship outfit Hull City have been making enquiries to keep tabs on his availability, as they look to potentially swoop for his services.
O’Brien is currently on loan with LAFC in the MLS, from parent club Nottingham Forest, and his impressive stint there may make it a struggle for Leeds or Hull to snap him up.
The Sun reports that LAFC have an option to make the deal permanent for a fee of £7m and that the English midfielder looks set to complete a permanent move to the American outfit at the start of 2025.
This means that Leeds will have to move quickly and persuade the former Huddersfield Town star, who was linked with a £10m move to Elland Road during his time with the Terriers in 2022, to ditch the MLS to move back to the Championship, with the possibility of Premier League football next term.
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If the Whites can thrash out a deal with Forest and convince O’Brien to make the move to Yorkshire, the left-footed ace could be a dream for current star Ao Tanaka.
Ao Tanaka's form for Leeds
The central midfielder was signed from Fortuna Dusseldorf during the summer transfer window and had to initially bide his time for a chance in the starting XI in the Championship.
Injuries to Gruev and Ampadu, however, provided the Japan international with an opportunity to start week-in-week-out in the league for Farke, and he has certainly grasped his chance with both hands.
The 26-year-old metronome has started each of the last six Championship games for the Whites and is yet to taste defeat as a starter, whilst Illan Meslier has only conceded four times in those six matches.
He is yet to register a goal or an assist in the league, but the Japanese star ranks within the top 17% of midfielders in the division for progressive passes per 90 (6.16).
This shows that Tanaka is making an impact in possession, by consistently progressing the ball forward into dangerous areas, without goals and assists.
Appearances
10
Pass accuracy
92%
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.8
Duels won per game
3.1
Duel success rate
58%
As you can see in the table above, the former 2. Bundesliga maestro has also offered quality out of possession by winning duels and tackles, and making interceptions to cut out opposition attacks.
This shows that he is a well-rounded central midfielder who can make an impact on and off the ball, albeit his work in the final third could be better.
Leeds could now land a dream partner for him in the middle of the park by convincing O’Brien to forget about a long-term move to America and join Farke’s side.
Why Lewis O'Brien would be a dream for Ao Tanaka
Firstly, the English dynamo is a left-footed player and would offer a natural balance to the right-footed Tanaka on the left side of the manager’s double pivot. Whereas, Joe Rothwell, a right-footed ace, is currently playing alongside the Japanese whiz.
Secondly, O’Brien would come in with plenty of experience in English football, with 146 Championship appearances and 13 outings in the Premier League under his belt, which suggests that he could help the former Dusseldorf man to continue to settle into life in the league.
It also suggests that the 26-year-old ace, who was hailed as “very special” by ex-boss Carlos Corberan, could hit the ground running in the second tier, given he played 23 times on loan with Middlesbrough during the 2023/24 campaign.
His form for LAFC in the MLS also indicates that he has the potential to be an excellent addition to the Leeds squad, and a dream signing for Tanaka on the pitch.
Appearances
11
13
Key passes per game
1.9
1.4
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.4
1.3
Ball recoveries per game
5.6
2.4
Duels won per game
3.9
1.3
As you can see in the table above, O’Brien has significantly outperformed Rothwell as a defensive presence in the middle of the park, whilst also averaging more tackles, interceptions, and duels won than Tanaka.
The English whiz has also created more chances per game on average than the Bournemouth loanee, which suggests that he could offer more than him in the final third and, therefore, make up for where the Japanese star lacks in his performances.
This is why Farke must push hard to secure a deal for O’Brien in January, as his mobility and defensive work rate, coupled with his creative passing, could make him an ideal partner for Tanaka in midfield.
Farke has struck gold on undroppable Leeds ace who they didn't want to sign
The Leeds United head coach had to convince the club to take a chance on him.
1 ByDan Emery
