Man Utd, Barcelona & Real Madrid face fresh competition for free agent defender | OneFootball

Bayern Munich have muscled their way back into the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah, a report has revealed.

As Tah entered the final year of his contract last summer, Bayern were publicly chasing a deal but ultimately declined to meet Leverkusen's asking price. The current Bundesliga champions walked away from negotiations and Tah confirmed his plan to leave on a free transfer.

Since then, it is Barcelona who have been linked with Tah most often. The presence of fellow German Hansi Flick in the dugout has driven interest from Catalonia and it was reported in January that a deal was effectively wrapped up, but concerns about Barcelona's salary cap have seen them unable to progress in negotiations.

Clasico rivals Real Madrid have now entered the race and Manchester United have also joined the battle for one of the biggest bargains of the summer, but the familiar shadow of Bayern is looming once again.

Sky Sports Germany state Bayern have re-established their interest as they prepare to lose Eric Dier to Monaco, with Tah now once again their top defensive target.

Tah was known to be keen on the move last summer but now has significantly more options available to him, with other suitors likely to emerge for the 29-year-old in the coming weeks.

Key to his future could be current manager Xabi Alonso, who confirmed his impending departure from Leverkusen on Friday. The Spaniard is expected to take his talents to Real Madrid and is known to be keen to bring Tah along with him.

Aware of the competition for Tah's signature, Bayern are prepared to ramp up their interest in the hope of keeping the Germany international in the Bundesliga. He is yet to make a decision on his future and wants to examine all options available to him before deciding his destination.