Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in a battle with Liverpool over a deal to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Jonathan Tah, as per the Spanish outlet Fichajes.
The Lilywhites currently have Micky van de Ven, Radu Dragusin and Cristian Romero to deploy in the centre-back position with the Dutchman and the Argentinian Ange Postecoglou’s first-choice pairing.
However, every top club like to have four specialist centre-back options for the proper depth and it seems Spurs are planning to do that. Fichajes states that the North London club are looking to improve their performances in the Premier League and the European competitions so they want to strengthen the backline with an experienced player.
Tottenham have identified Tah as a serious option with the player likely to leave Bayer Leverkusen as a free agent at the end of this season as despite entering the final year of his current contract, he hasn’t extended it yet.
However, the report says Liverpool are also keen on purchasing the German by taking advantage of his current situation. The Reds want to sign a new defender due to the growing age of their key player, Virgil van Dijk – who is set to turn 34 next year.
Battle
Moreover, the Netherlands international has entered the final few months of his current contract so his future at Anfield is currently hanging in the balance.
Apart from the Premier League clubs, Barcelona and Real Madrid are also considering hiring Tah for free next year so it won’t be easy for Tottenham or Liverpool to get the deal done.
Tah displayed impressive performances last term, guiding his side to win the Bundesliga title and the DFB Pokal trophy. Additionally, he helped Leverkusen reach the Europa League final before losing to Atalanta.
Tah also aided the German side to lift the German Super Cup at the start of this season. Now, he has established himself as a key player for Germany.
The 28-year-old, standing at 6ft 4in tall, is valued at around £25m by Transfermarkt. Signing a player of his qualities for free would definitely be a great coup for Liverpool or Tottenham if either club purchase him.
