Jonathan Tah of Leverkusen controls the ball during the Bundesliga match between TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at PreZero-Arena on February 01, 2020 in Sinsheim, Germany. (Getty Images)
Last month before the international summer deadline, a report from Football.london had claimed that West Ham were keen to sign German international centre-back Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen. The report quoted a price tag of £30m for the 24-year-old but a move to East London failed to materialise for the defender, who ended up staying put at Leverkusen.
Born in Hamburg to an Ivorian father and a German mother, Jonathan Tah started playing football at Altona 93. He then joined Concordia before being snapped up by Hamburger SV, where he completed his development in the youth ranks. Tah initially featured for Hamburger’s reserve side before making his first-team debut in the Bundesliga during the 2013-14 season.
The 24-year-old spent time on loan at Fortuna Dusseldorf in the second-tier in the following campaign before joining Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2015. Tah quickly established himself as a regular starter at his new club and has gradually blossomed into one of the best young central defenders in the German top-flight.
Tah has made a total of 186 appearances for Leverkusen in all competitions, scoring 5 goals and supplying 7 assists in the process. He represented Germany across various underage levels between U-16 and U-21 before making his senior international debut in 2016, featuring in Die Mannschaft’s squad at UEFA Euro 2016.
West Ham had been linked with a host of central defenders throughout the summer after conceding an unimpressive 62 goals and route to their 16th-place finish in the PL last season. However, the Hammers eventually had to settle for a season-long loan deal for Craig Dawson before the domestic deadline, having failed to get deals over the line for any of their top targets.
Dawson, though, is yet to make his debut for the Hammers this season and is only seen as a temporary fix. The 30-year-old boasts ample top-flight experience under his belt but hasn’t been at his best in recent years. He has been relegated twice from the PL over the past three seasons, which is not the kind of record West Ham should be looking at in a new signing.
With Angelo Ogbonna not getting any younger at 32 and Fabian Balbuena hardly the most consistent figure at the back, West Ham should continue their pursuit of a long-term solution at the heart of the defence when the market reopens in January. And reigniting interest in Jonathan Tah would definitely make a lot of sense in footballing terms.
The German international has been among the best young centre-backs in the Bundesliga over the past three seasons. He has also backed up his consistent displays on the domestic front with some quality performances in the Champions League and Europa League. Hence, his ability to deliver the goods against elite-level opposition serves as a clear testament to his talent and potential.
West Ham need to find a suitable long-term partner for Issa Diop at the back, with Ogbonna nearing the end of his time in East London. Standing at 6ft 5-inches with a towering frame, Jonathan Tah certainly has the physicality and the experience to sort out West Ham’s defensive conundrum for several years to come.
The German already boasts more than 200 club career appearances and still has his best years ahead of him at just 24. Taking all those factors into consideration, the Hammers should go all out in their pursuit of the Leverkusen star in January.