Barcelona have reportedly won the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah on a free transfer, with the Germany international set to make the move to the Catalan outfit at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
Bayern Munich were heavily linked with Tah during the recent transfer window, but the 28-year-old remained with Leverkusen, and he has made 25 appearances at club level this term, scoring twice in the process.
Tah will not be signing a new contract with Xabi Alonso's side and is set to leave next year, with a number of clubs believed to be interested in the German.
However, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have won the race for the defender, with Tah deciding to join Hansi Flick's side on a free transfer despite having a host of other offers on the table.
The report claims that a contract is yet to be officially signed, but an agreement between the two parties has been reached, with a deal potentially becoming concrete next month.
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Barcelona 'win race for Leverkusen defender Tah'
Barcelona sporting director Deco has allegedly been leading the negotiations, with Tah set to make the move to Camp Nou on a contract until June 2030.
The German started his professional career with Hamburger SV before moving to Leverkusen in 2015, and he has represented the Black and Reds on 378 occasions, scoring 16 goals and registering 12 assists in the process.
Tah was instrumental in Leverkusen's successful 2023-24 campaign, with Die Werkself winning the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, in addition to reaching the final of the Europa League.
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Christensen, Garcia 'could leave Barcelona next year'
Barcelona are well-stocked in the middle of their defence, with Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Ronald Araujo, Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen all options for head coach Flick.
Cubarsi will not leave under any circumstances, while Martinez and Araujo are also viewed as important players, but departures for either cannot be completely ruled out, especially with the latter capable of raising a big transfer fee.
Garcia and Christensen are the two expected to be moved on at the end of the campaign, though, with Tah set to boost the defensive options available to Flick for the 2025-26 campaign.
Jules Kounde was also signed by Barcelona as a centre-back, but the France international continues to operate as a right-back for the team currently in third spot in the La Liga table.
Matt Law
