Anton Stach made his return from injury for Leeds United in their FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea at Wembley last weekend, coming off the bench at half-time.
The German midfielder had been out of action since the quarter-final win over West Ham United, but he was unable to help his side to a win upon his return.
Despite the disappointment of the trip to Wembley, Stach has still been a phenomenal addition to the squad this season after his £17.4m move from Hoffenheim last summer.
The Whites took a risk on his Bundesliga form translating over to the Premier League and splashed the cash to bring him to Elland Road for Daniel Farke.
That risk has paid off so far because the 6 foot 4 titan has scored four goals and provided three assists in 28 league appearances for the Whites this season.
Stach, who has scored three free-kicks from seven attempts in the Premier League, has shown that there is value in exploring other markets, rather than relying on players with English league experience.
Now, the West Yorkshire outfit are reportedly eyeing up a player who could follow in the German midfielder’s footsteps at Elland Road next season.
According to SportsBoom, Leeds United are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign Bayern Munich central defender Hiroki Ito in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Whites have already made contact with intermediaries to enquire and open talks about a potential deal for the Japan international in the off-season.
It adds, though, that West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion are also interested in the centre-back, which means that there could be significant competition for his signature.
SportsBoom also reveals that Bayern are open to offers for the left-footed defender and that an offer in the region of £22m would likely be accepted by the German giants.
The main reason Leeds United must sign Hiroki Ito
The main reason why Leeds should pay the £22m that it would take to sign Ito is that he is an aerially dominant centre-back who could improve Farke’s defence from crossing situations.
Pascal Struijk and Jaka Bijol have both won less than 60% of their aerial duels in the Premier League, and the Whites were denied a place in the FA Cup final by a header by Enzo Fernandez from a cross last weekend.
Ito’s performances for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and the Champions League when he has been available and given a chance by Vincent Kompany suggests that he would provide Leeds with more defensive quality from crosses and set-pieces.
|
Ito (25/26) |
Bundesliga |
Champions League |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
14 |
4 |
|
Goals |
1 |
0 |
|
Assists |
2 |
0 |
|
Pass accuracy |
91% |
89% |
|
Duel success rate |
60% |
80% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
72% |
100% |
The 21-cap Japan star also won 83% of his aerial duels in six Bundesliga appearances during the 2024/25 campaign for Bayern, as he missed 53 matches through injury.
Signing Ito would be a risk, due to those injury issues, but he has played 20 matches in all competitions this season and could be a dominant defensive option when available, given his form in the German top-flight.
Like Stach, who has won 62% of his aerial duels in the Premier League, the Bayern star appears to have the physical attributes to suit playing for a team battling the drop in English football, which means that he could quickly adapt to life at Leeds.
On top of his dominant defensive skills that could make him a key signing for Farke’s back three, Ito is also a versatile star who could provide cover in a key position.
Gabriel Gudmundsson is the only left-footed left-back option in the squad at the moment, and the Bayern defender is a left-footed centre-back who has started 37 games as a left-back and four matches as a left wing-back in his club career.
Ito, therefore, could provide cover for Gudmundsson at left-back when the Sweden international needs a rest or is unavailable through injury or suspension, alleviating any need to play a right-footed player out of position on that side instead.
Whilst the injury issues are a concern with the Japanese defender, Ito’s experience in the Bundesliga, his aerial dominance, and his positional flexibility all suggest that he could be a brilliant addition and follow in Stach’s footsteps at Leeds if the club can sign him.
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