Barcelona in Pole Position to Land One of the Best Defenders in Bundesliga

Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah is a player in demand. After leading Die Werkself to their first Bundesliga title in club history, the towering 6’4” defender remained with Leverkusen for their title defense. But with his contract expiring, some big sharks are circling around the German. And according to recent developments, Barcelona have taken pole position.

The Blaugrana have been looking to add some defensive steal into their start-studded squad, and their search has led them to Jonathan Tah. The 28-year-old defender skippered Bayer Leverkusen to their maiden Bundesliga title last season. As a result, Tah was linked with a move to Bayern Munich in the summer. However, the two clubs couldn’t find an agreement. After the talks with Munich reached an impasse, the Leverkusen hierarchy labeled Tah as ‘untouchable.’ But with less than a year remaining on his current deal, the German international is free to talk to other clubs in regard to a future free transfer. 

Taking advantage of this situation, several European giants like Barcelona, Real Madrid and of course Bayern Munich have made contacts with Tah’s entourage. However, it now looks like Barcelona have raced ahead of the pack for Tah’s signature. On Thursday night, news broke out that Barca’s sporting director Deco had met with Tah’s agent Pini Zahavi. This development was also confirmed by reliable Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano. Romano tweeted, “Barça have made their initial proposal to Jonathan Tah for June 2025 as free agent, talks advanced — ahead of Bayern. There are details to fix but positive meeting took place between Deco and Pini Zahavi, same agent as Flick. Tah was also there, as Jijantes FC revealed.” 

Apart from Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have also held talks with Tah and his agent. Just a couple of weeks ago, Pini Zahavi stated that the Bavarians "still have a very good chance” of getting Tah. However, after positive talks with Deco, Barcelona are the clear frontrunners for Tah’s signature. While an agreement on a new contract remains elusive, there’s a solid understanding among all parties, with Barcelona’s strong relationship with Jonathan Tah’s agent giving them a significant edge over their competitors. Adding to this advantage is Hansi Flick, Tah’s former manager with the German national team, who is playing a pivotal role in shaping the potential move to Camp Nou. However, it’s likely that any concrete decisions will be delayed until January as the player continues to weigh his options.