According to SportBild (via SportWitness), Manchester United and Liverpool are interested in landing the signature of Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah on a free transfer.
The Germany international was linked with a move to Bayern Munich in the recent transfer window, but they did not meet the asking price set by Leverkusen. As a result, Tah stayed with the Bundesliga holders, but he has already made his mind up to leave the club when his contract expires next summer.
SportBild today report that Tah has a big wish of playing in the Premier League. Man United and Liverpool are among the top contenders to sign the 28-year-old, but he would give preference to a Champions League club.
Premier League move
United invested big money to sign Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt last summer and the duo are expected to become the mainstays in the central defensive department. Hence, the Red Devils may not look into a deal for Tah.
Even if they are interested in signing him, there is no guarantee of a starting role under manager Erik ten Hag. On top of this, the club are facing another challenge on their hands to qualify for the Champions League.
Hence, Liverpool are best placed to recruit the former Hamburg man. Virgil van Dijk’s future is uncertain with his contract expiring next summer. If he were to part ways, Tah would be a perfect addition to their ranks.
The 6ft 5in star has the leadership skills and strong ball playing attributes of Van Dijk. He could seamlessly fit into the heart of the defence and could be handed the captain’s armband too with his experience of captaining Leverkusen.
Bayern remain front-runners to sign Tah at the current point, but Liverpool could emerge as a serious destination for him if they look into an experienced replacement for Van Dijk during next summer’s transfer window.