Ao Tanaka

Tanaka's current-season form is level with last season (Season 22→22), while his Rating climbed 55→62. His peak season for form remains 2024/25 (Season 50).

Domestic career

Season	Club	Apps	G	A	Match	RTG	Season
2026/27	Leeds · 5th	4	0	1	6.8	62	22
2025/26	Leeds · 14th	28	2	0	6.74	55	22
2024/25	Leeds · 1st	43	5	2	7.21	73	50
2024/25	Fortuna Düsseldorf · 6th	3	0	0	7.03	49	2
2023/24	Fortuna Düsseldorf · 3rd	30	7	3	7.11	68	36
2022/23	Fortuna Düsseldorf · 4th	22	1	1	6.96	61	23

Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year. 4 earlier seasons in the full career.

Japan · international

Side	Apps	G
Japan	41	8
Japan U23	8	0
Japan U22	4	0

Career caps & goals — tournament breakdown in the full career.

Scout report

Squad depthCentral midfielder

A. Tanaka is a 28-year-old central midfielder at Leeds, rated 55 overall by Field Insider's model. An experienced operator, he has been a rotation option this season (38.8% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 3.39 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Tanaka.

On the season, Tanaka graded 22 for current form (age-blind), on 2 goals, 0 assists and 3.394 defensive actions per 90.

Year-on-year, that's broadly in line with last season (Season 22 → 22). Over the 7 seasons on record his form has drifted down, peaking in 2024/25.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 55. At 28 Tanaka is in his prime years, and a market index of 39.6 reflects that trajectory.

From the career report

Read the full career report →

Past his 2024/25 peak — the recent trend is downward, so buyers are paying for what's left, not what was.

Peak: 2024/25Trending downStepped up 2025/26

Ratingi

a solid contributor and squad regular

22.4

Seasoni

below regular-starter level

38.8%

Minutes

rotation minutes

3.39

Def. actions / 90

moderate defensive volume

Output in context · Leeds finished 14th of 20 · a lower-table side

Apps

3.39

Def. / 90

Tackles

Interceptions

Clean sheets

3.39 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — moderate defensive volume, with 3 clean sheets across 28 appearances. Doing that for a lower-table side (14th of 20) is harder than the bare numbers suggest: a back line under more pressure has to defend more often and protects fewer leads, so the volume — and any clean sheets — carry real weight. Going forward he chipped in 2 goals and 0 assists — a useful bonus from the back.

Strengths

Pedigree. Performing in a top-tier setting (team strength 93.2/100).

Watch points

Game time. Only 38.8% of available minutes — needs a settled run to prove the level.

Outlook

Rated 55 overall — a solid contributor and squad regular. Defensively he reads as moderate defensive volume (3.39 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Experienced and reliable, but the value curve is easing (1.2× now → 0.9× projected in three years). Doing it for a lesser side, he profiles as a value buy for a club higher up the table.

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Per 90 & availability

Minutes played %38.8%

Available fixtures38 of 38

Goals / 900.136

Assists / 900

Goal contribution / 900.136

Defensive actions / 903.394

Player flow

Goal involvements2

Cards / 900.068

Season-by-season progression

Rating (potential)Season (form)

Value & potential by age

Market valueRating

Solid = now · dashed = projected

The gold line is market value — an index (not €) blending rating, age and league. It climbs through the early 20s, peaks around ages 23–27 (~66), then tapers with age. At 28, Tanaka sits on 39.6, past its peak and easing. The blue line is Tanaka's projected Rating — 55 today — recomputed at each age, so it follows the same rise-and-fall as a career matures and declines. Solid = up to today; dashed = projected.

Season statistics

Bars = where he ranks among central midfielders in the Premier League with 600+ minutes this season.

Shooting

Goals2

Passing

Assists0

Defending

Tackles27

Interceptions21

Blocks2

Yellow/red cards

Yellow cards1

Red cards0

About A. Tanaka

Ao Tanaka is a 28-year-old central midfielder who plays for Leeds, born on September 10, 1998 in Kawasaki, standing 180 cm tall. He is from Japan. Leeds currently sit 5th of 20 in the Premier League.

This season

In the current season, A. Tanaka has made 4 appearances with 0 goals and 1 assist across 258 minutes, averaging a 6.74 match rating over his last 4 rated games, with 1 yellow card.

Recent matches

September 14, 2026: 4-1 win at home vs Newcastle (72 minutes, 6.68 rating)
September 5, 2026: 1-1 draw away at Brighton (73 minutes, 1 assist, 7.06 rating)
August 30, 2026: 1-1 draw at home vs Brentford (45 minutes, 6.9 rating)
August 25, 2026: 2-0 win away at Nottingham Forest (68 minutes, 6.3 rating)

A. Tanaka's next match is on October 10, 2026, when Leeds face Arsenal away in the Premier League.

Field Insider's view

Field Insider currently rates A. Tanaka at 55 with a Season form score of 22.4. See the full scout report for strengths, watch-points and the market-value outlook.

His honours include 13 career titles — among them the Championship and the Super Cup. Full list in the career record.

Career

Across 9 recorded seasons, A. Tanaka has totalled 238 club appearances with 23 goals and 14 assists for 3 different clubs. His busiest campaign came in 2024/25, with 43 appearances for Leeds.

On the international stage, A. Tanaka has represented Japan, Japan U23, Japan U22 — 53 caps and 8 goals in our records.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.