Romano reveals Bayern Munich are now ahead of Barcelona to land 29-year-old star | OneFootball

Fresh off a stunning domestic treble, FC Barcelona aren’t resting on their laurels. Planning for next season is already underway, with sporting director Deco tasked with identifying and securing key reinforcements.

One player that the Catalan club have been linked with for a long time now is Jonathan Tah. The Bayer Leverkusen defender has been a target since last summer and the interest has since see-sawed to varying degree through the course of the next 9-10 months.

Tah is in the final few weeks of his contract with former Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen. He has made it clear that he is not going to sign a new contract and will be a free agent eligible to sign for any club this summer.

Bayern lead Barcelona in the race

As per Fabrizio Romano, the reputed Italian journalist. German giants Bayern Munich are now ahead of Barcelona in the race to sign the 29-year-old centre-back. Vincent Kompany’s side have also had a long-term interest in the player.

Tah has been ever-present for Xabi Alonso for a few seasons now. He is a player who hardly gets injured and his natural fitness makes him a candidate for selection throughout the season. Despite being in the final year of his contract, the German international has made 49 appearances this campaign.

Equally comfortable playing on either side of central defence, Tah is a front-foot defender who uses his anticipation to get ahead of his opponent and cut out dangerous balls. However, this style of pro-active defending lands him in trouble sometimes.

Jonathan Tah, compared to Barcelona’s prominent centre-backs this season. (Source: DataMB)

Hansi Flick has previously worked with the defender during their time together with the German national team and will know exactly what he’ll be getting from Tah. However, despite interest, it does look like he is closer to Bayern than Barcelona at the moment.

Problem of plenty?

The reason for this could be that the La Liga champions have a wealth of options to play at centre-back: Pau Cubarsi, Ronald Araujo, Inigo Martinez, Eric Garcia, Andreas Christensen and if needed, even Jules Kounde. They also have the talent Eman Kospo waiting in the wings for a chance.

Given Barcelona’s depth in central defence, passing on Jonathan Tah, even on a free transfer, might ultimately be a calculated decision. Yet with the defender’s future hanging in the balance and Bayern Munich now leading the race, the coming weeks will be crucial in determining his next move.

Whether he heads to Bavaria, Catalunya or elsewhere, one thing is certain: Tah’s next chapter is fast approaching.