Tah watching Chelsea as he eyes Premier League move

David Lynch

• Updated: 19 May 2021 13:54 BST
• 2 min read

Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah has reiterated his desire to move to the Premier League when he eventually leaves the German club.

And the 25-year-old revealed that has been keeping close tabs on Chelsea since former teammate Kai Havertz swapped the BayArena for Stamford Bridge last summer.

A product of Hamburg’s academy, Tah has come to be regarded as one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga in his five seasons with Leverkusen – a tag that has generated plenty of transfer interest.

The 13-cap Germany international already has an idea where he would like to go next, too, even if he is not considering a departure just yet.

He told SPORT1: I’ve always said that I love England. It’s not a secret. The league is interesting, there are a lot of big teams and the style of play suits me.

“If at some point I notice that a change will bring me further and that I am stagnating in my development, then that is an option.

“But I’m currently very satisfied here in Leverkusen.”

If he were to move to England, Tah could well be tempted by the possibility of once again linking up with Havertz, who he expects to deliver after a difficult start.

And the recent appointment of Thomas Tuchel as head coach at Stamford Bridge is likely to do little to quell suggestions the defender could be headed for London.

He added: “I’ve been watching the Chelsea games regularly since then. It’s super interesting because Timo Werner and Antonio Rüdiger also play there.

“I know what qualities Kai has. The game there is different than in Germany. There is a lot of talk in such phases: He has to do this and that because he has cost so and so much.

“But that’s nonsense. Give the boy time, then he will show his enormous qualities at Chelsea too. Kai will convince all the critics over there!”

Tah’s impressive performances recently prompted Leverkusen boss Peter Bosz to compare him to injured Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk.

Of his manager’s high praise, he said: “Virgil van Dijk wasn’t at his current top level right from the start, he only developed from a very young professional with a lot of potential to one of the best defensive players in the world.

“Peter Bosz probably meant this potential. There he sees parallels between us. I am happy when he sees it that way. I take that as a compliment, but don’t overrate it either.

“I still want to achieve a lot, but I also have to do a lot every day. Just like van Dijk had to do.”