Jonathan Tah is ready to leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer, with Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool all eyeing up a move.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews.
Tah has now been a Leverkusen player for the better part of a decade.
The German joined Leverkusen from Hamburg in the summer of 2015.
Over the course of his time at the BayerArena, the German has become a real defensive leader for the club. He currently wears the captain’s armband for Leverkusen.
Last season undoubtedly marked a high point in Tah’s growth, and that of Leverkusen. They broke Bayern Munich’s run of dominance by winning their first ever Bundesliga title.
But Tah is now ready to move on.
The German international will be 29 at the end of this season. He is, on paper, coming right into his prime, and he wants to make the definitive step up in his career.
Jonathan Tah Ready For Big Move Away From Leverkusen – Inter, Bayern & Liverpool All Keen
Tah will have no shortage of options next summer.
The 28-year-old’s contract with Leverkusen runs out at the end of next June. And he has made clear to his club that he has no intention of signing an extension.
Therefore, Tah will be available on a free transfer.
This has created no small amount of friction between the German defender and the Leverkusen board.
But for Tah, it is an opportunity to choose his next step.
And Inter will certainly be among the German’s primary suitors, notes the Gazzetta.
For starters, Inter’s propensity to look for free transfer opportunities is no great secret.
That is the route via which all of Stefan de Vrij, Hakan Calhanoglu, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Andre Onana, and Marcus Thuram have arrived at the Nerazzurri in recent years.
This past summer alone, Inter signed both Mehdi Taremi and Piotr Zielinski on free transfers.
Moreover, Inter wouldn’t just be signing Tah because he’s available.
The centre of the defense is a priority area for the Nerazzurri in the next summer transfer window.
Francesco Acerbi and Stefan de Vrij are the current options in the middle of Inter’s back three.
Both are now well into their thirties. And both are on contracts which expire at the end of next June.
Therefore, it looks all but inevitable that at least one will leave and be replaced.
Tah is an ideal profile in that sense. The German has excelled playing in the centre of a back three at Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso.
Tah has the qualities of physicality, anticipation, aerial ability, and man-marking that are required in the centre-back role in Inter’s back three.
But the Nerazzurri would face plenty of competition.
Bayern Munich will look to sign Tah, who was a key player as Leverkusen snapped their run of Bundesliga titles.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are thinking about the future beyond Virgil van Dijk. Tah is among the Reds’ targets in this regard.