Barcelona and Real Madrid have not fought for too many players in recent history, despite it previously being a customary part of the transfer window. With Real Madrid set to win the battle for Alphonso Davies, Barcelona will be looking to get their revenge by nipping ahead of Los Blancos for their top centre-back target Jonathan Tah.
The Bayer Leverkusen centre-back is on the minds of a number of top clubs for next summer, with the 28-year-old able to sign for free with anyone from January. Bayern Munich tried to sign him last summer, but were unable to get a deal done with Leverkusen, but are also keen to try again with the player.
I’m told reports claiming Chelsea are in talks for Jonathan Tah are not true. #CFC
— Bobby Vincent (@BobbyVincentFL) November 17, 2024
In recent days it had emerged that Chelsea were another frontrunner for his signature, and were willing to provide a lucrative contract for Tah. However Bobby Vincent has delared (via Chelsea News) that this is not the case, and the Blues are not speaking to Tah.
Official: Barcelona have confirmed to its socios that the first two matches of February against Alavés, Valencia and Atalanta will still be played at Montjuïc. @FCBarcelona
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) November 20, 2024
Both the Spanish sides will be hoping that Tah prioritises a move to either Bayern or La Liga, as the entrance of Premier League sides on the scene would only drive the price up significantly for the other three. That said, both Real Madrid and Barcelona have based their transfer strategies on selling the prestige of the club rather than outbidding for players in recent years.