Just last week, there were reports that Chelsea were ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Jonathan Tah but now, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes, the scenario has changed drastically.
The report claims that Barcelona are now leading this interesting transfer race and the Blaugrana are currently in advanced talks with the 28-year-old Leverkusen man.
Jonathan Tah will be a free agent at the end of this season and this is the primary reason why so many big European clubs are inclined to bring him on board. The 28-year-old has been with Leverkusen since 2015 and even this season, the centre-back has a rating of 7/14 out of 10.
In the 11 league games that he has played, Tah has won 80% of his tackles and he’s been dribbled past just two times.
Has Jonathan Tah made up his mind to join Barcelona?
Enzo Maresca is reportedly keen to upgrade his central defensive position during the summer and the Chelsea manager has earmarked Tah as one of his primary targets. Enzo is expected to get rid of some unwanted centre-back next year which means he will have plenty of room to sign someone like the charismatic Leverkusen defenders.
Postecoglou, meanwhile, is eager to bolster his defensive options, especially with Cristian Romero recently being linked to a potential move to Real Madrid. If this transfer does eventually happen then a player like Jonathan Tah would be an ideal long-term replacement for the Argentine defender.
However, the fact that the German will be available for free next summer is a major incentive for Barcelona and according to some rumours, the centre-back is also keen to play under Hansi Flick.
If Barcelona can maintain their top form and win the LaLiga, the UCL, or both, then it will be almost impossible for Chelsea or Spurs to surpass them.
Tottenham Hotspur have more or less fallen out of contention for Jonathan Tah but Chelsea still have an outside chance of signing the Bayer Leverkusen defender by offering him an extravagant salary package.
Barcelona, despite improving their financial situation to some extent, are miles away from achieving a balanced book of accounts. As a result, Joan Laporta and the club are unlikely to offer the lucrative wages necessary to secure Tah’s services.