Wilfried Gnonto's exit from Leeds United on deadline day should be a reminder to players that Daniel Farke is not afraid to move on from stars who do not perform.

The Italian forward was a star for the club in the Championship, scoring 18 goals in two seasons, but he failed to score any goals in 23 appearances in the Premier League last term.

His loan move to Fiorentina may signal the beginning of the end of his time at Elland Road, and that has come because of his failure to deliver in the top-flight.

On the flip side of that, Ao Tanaka is the prime example of how it can work the other way. He has gone from being a bit-part player at the start of last season to now being a key member of Farke's midfield.

How Ao Tanaka has emerged as a star player for Leeds

The Japan international only started four of the club's first 11 games in the Premier League last term, before ending the campaign with seven successive starts.

Tanaka is not a typical Premier League midfielder, because he is not physically imposing and impressive in duels, but he provides a level of technical quality that the other midfielders in the squad do not.

That quality was on display in the 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, as he completed 100% of his attempted dribbles and assisted Jayden Bogle's goal with a clever pass across the goal line.

Tanaka also showed improved physicality in the draw with Brighton, winning all of his ground duels, and impressed in the middle of the park alongside Anton Stach and Ethan Ampadu.

Farke is a firm, but fair, manager and the Japanese star's superb performances should see him remain in the team, as long as he continues to deliver on the pitch.

The Leeds star who is already undroppable

On that theme, one of the club's summer signings has already delivered consistently impressive performances to the point where he should already be considered undroppable by the German boss.

Leeds United have had some fabulous central defenders grace Elland Road down the years, and Pontus Jansson was among the best of them because of his ability to combine dominant defending with quality in possession.

The Sweden international won 60% of his duels and completed 86% of his passes in 39 games in the Championship for Marcelo Bielsa in the 2018/19 campaign, and Farke may have just unearthed his own version of the colossal star.

Tarik Muharemovic joined in the summer transfer window for a fee of £34m from Sassuolo, and he has quickly emerged as an undroppable figure for the Whites.

The left-footed defender came in to replace Pascal Struijk, who was on the bench for Brighton on Saturday, and has hit the ground running in the Premier League.

In fact, he was even better than Tanaka, despite the midfield magician's assist, as he played a crucial role in building a platform for the rest of the team to play from.

Muharemovic ended the game with the most defensive contributions and the most clearances out of the three Leeds central defenders, as he delivered a colossal display at the heart of the defence.

The Bosnia international was better than Tanaka because he was so important to the way that the Whites prevented Brighton from dominating the game and creating chances, which then allowed the Japan international to showcase his quality on the ball.

His overall performances in the Premier League suggest that he is well on his way to becoming the manager's own version of Jansson, as the defender has won 69% of his ground duels and completed 82% of his attempted passes across the first three games.

Muharemovic, who has completed 93% of his passes in his own half, has shown composure and quality with the ball at his feet, whilst also being a dominant out-and-out defender for the Whites.

The 23-year-old star should already be considered completely undroppable for Leeds because of his complete performances in the Premier League, and he may end up gaining the cult hero status that Jansson once had in West Yorkshire.