Barcelona in pole position for €30m-rated centre-back; Deco leading the negotiations | OneFootball

Jonathan Tah has become one of the most sought-after players in the transfer market given that his contract at Bayer Leverkusen is set to expire at the end of the season.

The 28-year-old German international has been heavily linked with a move to FC Barcelona while other clubs like Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Juventus, and briefly Real Madrid have also shown interest.

Come January, Tah will be free to negotiate and sign a pre-contract agreement with a club of his choice and despite the large number of suitors, it appears that Barcelona might have an edge.

Barcelona in pole position

Indeed, according to Calciomercato, Barcelona are currently in pole position to sign Jonathan Tah on a free transfer come the summer of 2025.

On his way to Barcelona? (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)

This development comes on the back of reports that the Blaugrana’s sporting director, Deco, already held a meeting with the centre-back and his representative earlier this month in Leverkusen.

While Deco opted to keep silent when asked about the said meeting, it has been reported that the discussions progressed very positively.

In fact, reports in Spain even suggested that Tah was won over by the project presented by Deco, and as such, a move to Barcelona could be edging closer.

Teams like Juventus and Inter Milan are also very much keen on the German defender, who was an integral part of Xabi Alonso’s Bundesliga-winning team last season.

However, with Deco leading negotiations for Barcelona, coupled with the demands made by Tah’s agents have led to the two Serie A clubs falling behind.

As such, everything suggests that Tah could be bound for Barça come summer when he becomes a free agent.

*Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.