Barcelona attempt STRANGE transfer hijack

Tom Weber

Updated: 26 Aug 2024 18:50 BST
3 min read

Barcelona are in talks to sign Jonathan Tah, according to German media.

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The Bayer Leverkusen defender has been desperate to leave the German champions all summer. Tah had already wanted out last year but no move materialised.

The centre-back looked unfazed by this last season as he enjoyed the best campaign of his career but his desire for a change of scenery never subsided.

For weeks, he looked to be on the verge of completing a dream move to Bayern Munich, with the deal hinging on Matthijs de Ligt's transfer to Man Utd. The Dutchman has long since left, but the Tah saga remains deadlocked.

Things had gone quiet on the Tah front in recent days, with the defender being brought back into the Leverkusen fold by Xabi Alonso, but talk over his future has now once again burst into life.

Tah to FCB after all?

According to Sky Germany's Florian Plettenberg, Barcelona have opened talks over a potential transfer of the German international. The journalist reports that a deal with Bayern is not officially dead, but it is the other FCB - Barcelona - who are now trying to land his signature.

Negotiations with the Blaugrana appear to still be at a very early stage but one can't help but feel that it would be a strange move. Barcelona are well-stocked in the defensive department even after Clement Lenglet's loan move to Atletico Madrid.

Moreover, Lenglet and Vitor Roque, who has joined Real Betis, were offloaded precisely to allow the cash-strapped Catalans to register all the necessary players for this season, including marquee signing Dani Olmo, who remains as yet on the outside looking in.

It seems totally unnecessary to move for a centre-back under such circumstances, especially in light of the fact that Barcelona also appear to be closing in on the signing of Juventus winger Federico Chiesa.

Surely frugality ought to be a virtue for the club right now. Leverkusen quoted Bayern a fee of around €30 million for Tah. Spending that kind of money on a player you don't need could be disastrous.