LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - OCTOBER 01: Jonathan Tah of Bayer Leverkusen looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD2 match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and AC Milan at BayArena on October 01, 2024 in Leverkusen, Germany.

Manchester United set to rival Barcelona for the signature of 28-year-old Bundesliga defender

Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images

Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi have formed the center of the FC Barcelona backline since the start of this season, and their partnership has proven to be very effective. Martinez, with his experience and skills, has emerged as the leader of this backline, while Cubarsi has displayed a very high tactical level to complement the Basque defender.

With the way Martinez is playing, he is on course to play the games that will provide him with an automatic one-year extension. Furthermore, the Blaugranes also have the likes of Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen to provide more defensive options to Flick once they return from their injuries.

Still, the Catalans have been linked with the Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah for the last few months. The German center-back’s contract with the Bundesliga champions is ending at the end of this season, and his agent has already made it publicly clear that Tah will not be looking for a renewal.

However, Barcelona will still not find it easy to land the German defender, as Fichajes reports that there is another big European club interested in his signing, Manchester United.

The report claims that both Barcelona and United see Tah as a good candidate to solve their defensive problems. This is especially the case for the Red Devils, who have been struggling with their vulnerable defense, and who have several defenders with an uncertain future at their club.

On the other hand, Barcelona under Hansi Flick are looking for an experienced center-back who can also compete at the highest level, and also provide leadership to the backline. The Catalan entity is facing a lot of financial problems at this time, but they are still an attractive destination for the German defender.

There is no doubt that any manager would want to have a defender as good as Tah in their squad. But the center-back position at Barcelona is currently overbooked, with the likes of Araujo, Christensen, and Eric Garcia all present in the squad, in addition to the current starting duo of Martinez and Cubarsi and it remains to be seen how this saga unfolds.

Tags Jonathan Tah