La Liga champions Real Madrid are reportedly interested in signing 28-year-old German defender Jonathan Tah from Bundesliga counterpart Bayer Leverkusen.
According to an update by reputed Spanish journalist Ramon Alvarez, Jonathan Tah is the subject of interest from Real Madrid. The reigning La Liga champions want to bolster their backline next year by signing a centre-back. Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Bayer Leverkusen defender is also a target for Barcelona.
The gradual rise of Jonathan Tah
Jonathan Tah has established himself as one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga in the last few years. While the experienced centre-back has been with Bayer Leverkusen for nearly a decade, he found his feet in recent seasons while playing his part as Die Werkself won the 2023/24 Bundesliga title without losing a game.
The Bundesliga champions were also exceptional in other competitions, winning the DFB Pokal, while their only loss last season came in the UEFA Europa League final against Atalanta. Tah was instrumental in his team’s success, although his journey at BayArena will end after he completes a decade with the club.
The 28-year-old has turned out over 350 times thus far for Bayer Leverkusen while chipping in with 15 goals and 12 assists. Meanwhile, the German defender’s situation has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of several high-profile clubs across Europe. Barcelona and Real Madrid are among the player’s prospective suitors.
La Liga move on the horizon?
Barcelona mulled over signing Jonathan Tah in the summer transfer window before a move failed to see the light of day. The Catalan club’s continued interest in the Bayer Leverkusen centre-back is understandable, considering the never-ending financial mess might force them to cash in on Andreas Christensen or Ronald Araujo. In addition, Inigo Martinez is on the wrong side of 30.
As for Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti has only three regular centre-backs in his squad, with Jesus Vallejo only an emergency option. So, Carlo Ancelotti has used Aurelien Tchouameni and Dani Carvajal as a right-back this year. Real Madrid must dip into the market to sign a centre-back, with Tah emerging as a viable target.
While finances are not an issue for Real Madrid, signing a player in a cost-effective deal also helps. It will be interesting to see if the 28-year-old arrives in La Liga by joining Barcelona or Real Madrid. However, recent reports have also claimed that the German international is open to moving to the Premier League.
