Bayern Munich trailing Real Madrid in the race to sign Germany defender

Bayern Munich made multiple attempts in the summer to sign Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen. The Bavarian club believed Tah would have added quality and experience to their defensive department. With Tah expected to leave Bayer Leverkusen on a free transfer next summer, Bayern are no longer the front-runners to sign him.

According to Bild (via iMiaSanMia), Real Madrid have entered the race to sign Jonathan Tah. The record Champions League winners have already held talks with his representatives. Barcelona are also monitoring Tah’s situation after showing concrete interest in him during the summer. Bayern have a lot of work to do if they want to beat the Spanish giants for Tah’s signature.

Bayern had agreed personal terms with Tah in the summer. However, they didn’t want to pay a big fee for a player who had entered the final year of the contract. Bayer Leverkusen had set a deadline to conclude a deal, but Die Roten allowed the deadline to pass and made an offer late in the window, which was rejected by the defending Bundesliga champions.

Tah and his agent- Pini Zahavi, have already made it clear to Bayer Leverkusen that he will not sign a new contract. The 28-year-old defender will be free to negotiate with interested clubs in January for a pre-contract agreement on a free transfer in the summer.

Bayern certainly need a high quality addition in central defense next summer

Bayern added one center-back in the summer at the expense of Matthijs de Ligt. Hiroki Ito arrived from VfB Stuttgart early in the summer before De Ligt left Bavaria to join Manchester United. The Japanese defender is yet to make his competitive debut for Bayern since he broke his foot during pre-season.

Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae have delivered mixed performances as Kompany’s first-choice center-back pairing this season. Meanwhile, Eric Dier is struggling to get game time to impress the Belgian coach. The English defender may have to look for a new club next summer when his contract expires at Bayern.

Die Roten will need a top-class addition in central defense next summer, irrespective of how Upamecano and Kim Min-jae perform this season. They need quality depth in this position, which will allow Kompany to rotate like he has done in other positions. Moreover, strong competition will also help Upamecano and Kim Min-jae to take their performances to the next level. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Bayern are exploring moves for a top center-back in January.