Barcelona explored a possible January move for Bayern Munich defender Jonathan Tah, but Bayern told his agent Pini Zahavi they would not let him leave. The matter concerns Barcelona’s search for a defensive reinforcement for the second half of the season.
Barcelona’s defensive priority
Barcelona are pursuing a defensive signing capable of giving the team an immediate lift in the second half of the season.
Sporting director Deco and coach Hansi Flick have placed an experienced centre-back at the top of their wishlist.
Financial difficulties make any new deal in the winter window a complicated affair for Barcelona.
Germany’s Jonathan Tah is among the options Barcelona are considering for their defensive reinforcement.
Contact over Tah’s position
According to the Catalan newspaper Sport, Deco and Hansi Flick enlisted agent Pini Zahavi to gauge Jonathan Tah’s position and the chances of his leaving Bayern Munich.
According to Sport, a meeting took place in late October, coinciding with the Champions League clash between Bayern Munich and Arsenal.
According to Sport, Pini Zahavi sat down with Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl to discuss Jonathan Tah’s situation and whether he might be allowed to leave in the winter window.
Tah’s situation at Bayern
Jonathan Tah has not yet delivered the levels expected of him since joining Bayern Munich.
Even so, Bayern Munich show no sign of giving up Jonathan Tah.
Jonathan Tah shows little appetite to leave the German league, despite authorising his agent to test the ground for a move to Barcelona.
Coach Vincent Kompany primarily uses Dayot Upamecano in Bayern Munich’s centre-back positions, with Jonathan Tah and Kim Min-jae alternating in the other role.
Reports cited by GOAL say Jonathan Tah’s place on the bench in nearly half of Bayern Munich’s matches prompted Barcelona to ask Pini Zahavi to look into a January deal.
According to those reports, Barcelona hoped to exploit Jonathan Tah’s situation at Bayern Munich to sign an experienced defender without entering into complicated financial talks.
Bayern’s refusal
According to Sport, the meeting between Pini Zahavi and Bayern Munich did not go as Zahavi or Barcelona had hoped.
According to Sport, Bayern Munich flatly rejected the idea of parting with Jonathan Tah.
According to Sport, Bayern Munich view Jonathan Tah as an important part of Vincent Kompany’s plans.
According to Sport, Bayern Munich refused to open the door to any talks over Jonathan Tah’s exit, whether a permanent sale or a loan in the winter window.
According to Sport, Bayern Munich appear unwilling to let Jonathan Tah leave for any club.
Barcelona’s remaining search
Deco and Hansi Flick continue to prioritise signing a centre-back with experience and the ability to adapt quickly to Barcelona’s style.
Barcelona want a defender who can slot in alongside young players in their back line, including Pau Cubarsí and Gerard Martín.
Signing a promising young defender has slipped down Barcelona’s agenda.
Barcelona’s sporting management would rather find a ready-made player equipped to handle pressure and big matches than add more youngsters to the back line.
Shrinking options in the market and financial constraints make Barcelona’s search for a defender more difficult.
Financial constraints rule out any expensive deal for Barcelona, forcing Deco to look for solutions that fit the club’s means.
GOAL reports that the thinking inside Barcelona is that Hansi Flick must get his defensive reinforcement in January, barring compelling and unexpected circumstances.
GOAL reports that finding the right centre-back remains one of the biggest issues on Barcelona’s agenda.
