My thinking on Tanaka if anyone is interested.
I've watched 1 full game of his specifically watching him play. That was last summer btw when we were linked with him. I've also seen a few highlights and obviously remembered the name. I have limited knowledge on the guy so obviously I can now give you a full lowdown.
He's a runner. Lots of energy. Box to box lad and persistent with it. That means he might get the odd goal which is an improvement on last seasons midfield. He won't get 10 goals, he'll get a handful or so if he plays every game. He would improve the balance of the team and help us connect defence to attack. He is an 8 and not a 10. He won't play the double pivot, he would have to be deployed further forward. He can pick a forward pass and likes to arrive late in the box. He has quick feet and a good football brain on him. Does the simple things really well which is harder than it sounds.
My concerns are that he isn't really exceptional at anything. He's not over quick, his short passing is good, long passing is average, he's not the strongest, he's not good in the air and I don't believe he is technically as good as Gruev or Ampadu on the ball.
He's never played at Championship level and I'm not sure he can thrive whilst getting chunks kicked out of him. He's never played more than 30 league games a season.
I'm not saying he's a bad signing, I just think it's a tough league to adapt to. I said the same of Gruev but he adapted great after a tough start. I think Tanaka might be a similar story for us in the fact he won't hit the ground running.
Hope I'm wrong and he wins the player of the season award. I just have my reservations. I think he will be a squad player maybe getting 10-15 starts all season.