West Ham United Launch Enquiry For This Bundesliga Defender: Wise Move For The Hammers? | OneFootball

In a recent report, the Daily Mail has mentioned that West Ham United have launched an enquiry for Bayer 04 Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah ahead of the transfer deadline later tonight. The Hammers have identified the German centre-back as a potential option after missing out on Marseille’s Duje Caleta Car this summer (via The Daily Mail).

Tah’s Outstanding Form At The BayArena Last Season

Tah was a consistent feature at the centre of Peter Bosz’s defence in the previous campaign when he produced a series of commanding displays at the BayArena. He made 39 appearances for the German outfit last season, picking up one yellow card and seven yellow cards across multiple competitions.

The Hamburg-born defensive ace was one of the top performers in Leverkusen’s first-team as he averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 3.8 clearances and 0.6 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga. The 24-year-old was even excellent with his ball-distribution out from the back after he made 90% of his attempted passes in the German top tier last season (stats via whoscored).

However, the nine-time German international has lost his first-team privileges to Sven Bender and Edmond Tapsoba, which is why he should consider switching clubs in search of more game time at the highest level. A potential move to the London Stadium could help Tah re-establish himself amongst the best centre-backs in Europe if the Hammers can successfully get a deal over the line for him before the transfer deadline.

What Will The German International Bring To The English Capital?

Standing at 1.95m, Tah has been a towering presence at the heart of the Leverkusen defence over the past few years. He has got the strength to be a dominant force in the air and is also a capable defender as he has developed a habit of coming to his side’s rescue by clearing his lines at the back.

The Bundesliga star is also a great interceptor of the ball because he can time his tackles quite well inside his half. As mentioned earlier, he is a tidy passer of the ball but can sometimes be a liability on the field because of his lack of pace to get back and defend when being stretched by the opposition on the counter.

Will Recruiting Tah Be A Wise Move For The Hammers?

Tah is an experienced centre-half who will significantly bolster West Ham’s defence in the coming seasons. He will undeniably add more competition for Fabian Balbuena, Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop for a regular starting berth at East London.

All in all, it would be a shrewd move for the Hammers if they manage to seal a move for Tah this summer as he will improve their squad depth and also, could potentially help them compete for a top-half finish in the Premier League this season.