Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing Jonathan Tah and are weighing up a January move for the Bayer Leverkusen defender.
According to Spanish publication Sport, Barcelona are prioritising the addition of a centre-back in the winter transfer window. Therefore, the Blaugrana have set their sights on Jonathan Tah, and have already opened talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a move for the German defender.
Tah joined Bayer Leverkusen from Hamburg in the summer of 2015, and is widely regarded as one of the most promising young defenders in Europe. A mainstay at the back for the Bundesliga club, the player is known for his hard-tackling ways of defending while also being strong at building up plays from defence.
In all, Tah has made 82 appearances in a little over two seasons with Bayer, and has also been entrusted with the responsibility of leading the German Under-21 side. His burgeoning reputation is also helping the youngster attract interest from one of the biggest clubs in the world, with Barcelona setting their sights on him.
Barca’s first priority is a CB & Jonathan Tah (21, Bayer Leverkusen) is on the favorites. #FCBlive pic.twitter.com/OEFe6JPN1I
— Catalan Edition (@CatalanEdition) November 2, 2017
As per the report, the Catalan club are desperate to sign a young, albeit highly rated centre-back in the winter transfer window. And for good reason, with Thomas Vermaelen looking set to depart from Camp Nou in January and the future of Javier Mascherano being uncertain.
Moreover, Gerard Pique has blown hot and cold in the early stages of the campaign, thus accentuating the need to sign a centre-back. While a move for Yerry Mina is reportedly in the offing, the Colombian will not be signed in January as they want to give him a full pre-season to adapt to the challenges at the club.
Furthermore, the Mina’s arrival is still not set in stone as his performances in next summer’s World Cup will be the final deciding factor for Barcelona. Therefore, they have set their sights on Tah, who will be a viable January target for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the German defender’s qualities on the ball would make him an ideal fit in Barcelona’s possession-based style of play. Additionally, Tah will be eligible to play in the Champions League when the knockout stages commence, with Bayer Leverkusen not playing in Europe at all this season.
At 21, the player will be a long-term solution at the back if he continues developing at an impressive rate. Barcelona have already opened talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a possible move in January for Tah, and it remains to be seen if he indeed makes a mid-season switch to Camp Nou.