Manchester United spent big money to sign two centre-backs after last season’s horror show at the back but that has not translated into any major improvements on the pitch thus far.
INEOS’ first choice target was always Jarrad Branthwaite from Everton but with the Toffees standing firm on their unrealistic valuation, the Red Devils were forced to look elsewhere.
They completed quite the coup, landing Leny Yoro despite Real Madrid being his preferred destination while after a major delay, in came Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich.
With negotiations for the Netherlands international taking much longer than expected, the 20-time English league champions were looking at quite a few alternatives including Jonathan Tah of Bayer Leverkusen.
Tah’s future
The German was supposed to be heading to Bavaria but that move did not pan out last summer and the 28-year-old has made it clear to the current Bundesliga champions that he will not be signing a new contract.
This means he will become a free agent in 2025 and is free to agree a pre-contract agreement with any club of his choice.
“My decision is clear: I will not renew my contract. I will remain committed to Leverkusen until 2025, and until then I will give my best for the team.
“A footballer’s career is short, and I want to exploit my full potential. This summer I felt it was the right time to explore something new, especially after such a successful season,” the centre-back was quoted as saying.
Spanish outlet SPORT have relayed that Barcelona are now in the lead for the Germany international who is not pleased with Bayern for leaving him stranded despite agreeing personal terms.
But the Catalan giants will not find it easy to land their man with multiple Premier League sides including the team from Old Trafford in the race.
“The Catalan club, with Hansi Flick as the player’s biggest supporter, would be ahead of Bayern Munich, who, according to this information, had left the player ‘stranded’ after agreeing a five-year contract with him this summer.
Barca in pole position, PL clubs in the fray
“The Bavarians’ inability to reach an agreement with Leverkusen on the economic side, and their subsequent decision not to go ahead with the personal agreement with the player, would have left Tah’s relationship with Bayern very damaged to the point that, right now, he would not be an option for the player in 2025.
“Barça will face competition from the Premier League if they want to secure the services of the German centre-back. In addition to the Catalans, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea are reportedly after the German player to strengthen their defence.”
Last season was a dream season for both Tah and Leverkusen as they emerged unlikely champions while remaining unbeaten throughout the league season.
The former Hamburg academy star helped keep 21 clean sheets across all competitions while also netting six goals. His displays saw him make the cut for the German national team for the Euros, where he played four games.
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