Barcelona assure defender signing will go ahead this summer | OneFootball

Barcelona have been linked to Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah for the entirety of the season almost, having made a move for him in late August. With his contract up this summer, the Blaugrana are keen to bring in a quality option on a free, but there has been doubt cast over his arrival in recent months.

Reports have claimed that Tah has agreed terms with Barcelona some months ago after Bayern Munich dropped out of the race for the Germany international. Yet after Ronald Araujo signed a new contract until 2031, there has been some confusion over where Tah would fit into their plans, if Araujo stays alongside Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez. Recently, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have enquired about his situation too.

Nevertheless, Sport say that Barcelona have made it clear to Tah that they intend to sign him, and that the circumstances will be in place to do so. On the one hand, they believe that they will be able to register players come the summer despite La Liga’s recent reduction of their salary limit. On the other, they have also told Tah that there will be sufficient space in the squad for him to compete for a starting spot.

Image via MaxPPP

The Catalan daily say that Hansi Flick believes Tah’s aerial ability, understanding of the game and ability to spring the offside trap will help improve Barcelona. Italian giants Inter and AC Milan have also shown interest in Tah, but the 28-year-old will continue to prioritise Barcelona over other offers.

Somewhere in the chain, it means some of the reporting is not entirely truthful. Recently it has been claimed that Barcelona believe Araujo, who has a €65m release clause in the opening 15 days of the transfer market, will stay at the club. Yet the arrival of Tah seems almost contingent on the sale of Araujo, while Andreas Christensen seems almost certain to depart. Eric Garcia’s future is another topic to be discussed too.