Man Utd, Barcelona, Real Madrid Miss Out on Key Defender Target as Move Confirmed

Bayern Munich have finalised the signing of centre-back Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen on a free transfer.

Tah came close to joining Bayern last summer but, after a fee could not be agreed, he publicly confirmed that he would allow his contract to expire and explore alternative options this year.

His availability alerted a number of Europe’s top sides. Barcelona were often linked with Tah and were even thought to be close to an agreement with the Germany international earlier this season, while Manchester United and Real Madrid are among the sides to have expressed an interest in recent months.

Bayern had cooled their interest in Tah but the loss of Eric Dier to Monaco saw them reignite their pursuit of the 29-year-old, who has now put pen to paper on a four-year contract with the Bundesliga champions.

“I’m very happy to be at FC Bayern,” Tah told club media. “I want to take on responsibility here and work hard every day so that we’re successful as a team and win lots of trophies together.”

Max Eberl, club sporting director, added: “It’s no secret that we’ve had Jonathan Tah on our radar for a long time. We appreciate his quality: he’s a character who takes on responsibility.

“Jonathan had a lot of offers but chose FC Bayern, which pleases us very much.”

As for Tah’s other suitors, many are still searching for a new defender. Barcelona’s plans may depend on outgoings but both Madrid and United are known to be keen to bolster at the back after a season cursed by injuries and underperformance.

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