Chelsea are looking at Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah as a potential transfer target, as are their London rivals Tottenham and West Ham United, according to Ben Jacobs.
Speaking to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing column, Jacobs explained that he couldn’t see Tah moving in January, but that he might be one to watch for the summer after impressing in the Bundesliga.
Jacobs says Chelsea have been looking at the Germany international, while it seems he also has admirers in the form of Spurs and West Ham, though the journalist played down links with Manchester United, who seem to be focusing on other players such as Jean-Clair Todibo as priorities at the back.
Chelsea could do well to sign Tah to strengthen their defence, however, as it’s fair to say results are not going as many will have hoped this season, and it might be time to think about bringing in a long-term replacement for Thiago Silva.
Discussing Tah’s future, Jacobs said: “I don’t expect Jonathan Tah to go anywhere in January, not with Leverkusen flying. He also won’t be a bargain in the summer because a €20m release clause previously in his contract has now seemingly expired.
“Several Premier League clubs are across Tah, whose contract expires in 2025, so this summer might be the time for Leverkusen to accept a fee if the player doesn’t want to renew.
“But Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro told me they only want to lose a maximum of two players this summer, meaning Tah, Edmond Tapsoba and Piero Hincapie’s futures may all be intertwined.
“Tah has been looked at by Chelsea, who want a centre-back, Spurs and West Ham, with the latter also admiring Hincapie.
“Manchester United also want a centre-back. I am not sure Tah is top of their list. As Fabrizio Romano rightly said a few weeks back, Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo is a big target.”