Jonathan Tah: Change as a “bargain” and without much noise

Rather give up than set the tone off the field: Jonathan Tah.

IMAGO/Chai v Laage

In the first few weeks under Xabi Alonso, his status was unclear. Jonathan Tah was not completely set in the center of defense after the new coach took over the factory club at the beginning of October. In November, the Spaniard tried Edmond Tapsoba in the middle of the back three, leaving the German international on the bench in the 5-0 win against Union Berlin or putting him in the right of the back three three days later in the 2-1 win in Cologne one that went haywire for the central defender.

Xabi Alonso (“That was my fault”) took the blame for Tah’s poor performance back then. And three days later, after the 2-0 win against Stuttgart, in which Tah – back in the center of defense – again convinced, emphasized his function as a leading player, to put him on the bench again at the restart in Gladbach (3: 2). to put.

Tah wants to take the next step in his career

An episode after which the thoughts of changing clubs at Tah, which have been around for the past two years, are likely to have matured. In the meantime, this has been decided from the player’s point of view. Since the beginning of the year, Tah has been receiving advice from transfer expert Pini Zahavi. A clear sign that after eight years at Bayer he wants to take the next step in his career.

Release clause under 20 million euros

The giant has long since informed the club about this. An exit clause in his contract, which runs until 2025, specifies the conditions for a change. This is less than 20 million euros, which would make Tah in its current form a “bargain”, at least for the English market.

The 27-year-old is currently doing his part to realize his dream of moving to an ambitious club in a foreign top league – he delivers outstanding performances in a row. In this calendar year, his average kicker grade is 2.73. Ascending trend.

Strong kicker note average

Since the last Leverkusen defeat to date, the 2:3 against Mainz in mid-February, Tah has even earned an average grade of 2.4. After Xabi Alonso didn’t call him into the starting eleven for tactical reasons in the 2-1 win against Bayern Munich in mid-March, the central defender responded by playing six games with an average score of 2.0.

I have never seen Jonah so strong as in the last few weeks. It’s unbelievable how he’s developing.

Tah symbolizes the new defensive strength and stability of Leverkusen. It’s not for nothing that midfielder Nadiem Amiri enthused after the 2-0 win against Leipzig: “I’ve never seen Jona as strong as he has in the past few weeks. It’s unbelievable how he’s developing.” Managing Director Simon Rolfes attested to the defender: “He’s in top form.”

For Xabi Alonso, Tah is ‘a leader’

Xabi Alonso didn’t skimp on praise either. Reflecting on Tah’s outstanding performance in the 4-1 win in the second leg of the quarter-finals at Union Saint-Gilloise, the Spaniard explained after the Leipzig game: “Jona did great on Thursday and against Leipzig too. He’s a leader.”

And a team player. If many other professionals would use their personal run to drum up media advertising for themselves, Tah is holding back in this regard despite his strong performances on the assembly line. The reason: The professional does not want to cause unrest during the final sprint in the championship and in the Europa League, which is so crucial for the club. According to the motto: No ado about much.

If Tah’s high lasts until the end of the season, it will ultimately help him and the club. With a strong Tah, Bayer and the player are more likely to achieve their sporting goals. And Tah himself would increase the likelihood that his future club will be one with the greatest possible appeal, paying Bayer the fixed transfer fee.

Also read: Official transfer: Two Friday games on the 31st Bundesliga matchday