Real Madrid plot surprise hijack of Barcelona’s move for 28-year-old Bundesliga star: Reports

Real Madrid are reportedly plotting a surprise move to hijack arch-rivals Barcelona's attempt to sign centre-back Jonathan Tah from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen. According to reports from Fichajes.net, the Merengues are keen on signing the 28-year-old to improve their defensive depth.

Tah joined Leverkusen from Hamburger SV for a reported €9.5 million fee in the summer of 2015. He quickly established himself as a regular starter for Die Werkself and eventually got recognized as one of the best defenders in the German top flight.

He played an integral part in Leverkusen's invincible, title-winning Bundesliga campaign and DFB-Pokal victory last season. Overall, he has made 380 appearances for the club across all competitions and has also been capped 33 times by the German national team.

As Tah's contract expires at the end of this season, he is free to negotiate with other clubs over a potential pre-contract transfer. Barcelona are believed to be the German's long-term admirers and were even placed in pole position for his signature by multiple media outlets.

However, recent reports have claimed that there is a possibility that current Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso could replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid in the summer. If the move goes through, the managerial connection could play a vital role in Tah's choice of his next destination.

Tah's compatriot and centre-back partner Antonio Rudiger also plies his trade for Real Madrid, which could potentially sway his decision. With all the factors in play, the stage is set for an intense transfer battle between the two juggernaut rivals on opposite sides of El Clasico.

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Amid Real Madrid links, Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah keeping eye on status of Barcelona defender's contract renewal - Reports

According to reports from SPORT, Bayer Leverkusen star Jonathan Tah will make his choice between Real Madrid and Barcelona. It could depend on the latter's stance on star defender Ronald Araujo.

The 25-year-old played a key part in Barca's victorious LaLiga campaign in the 2022-23 season. However, he has struggled with multiple injuries since and has fallen out of favor with manager Hansi Flick. The German manager prefers youngster Pau Cubarsi and veteran Inigo Martinez instead.

Araujo's move to Juventus was all but sealed last week, which would have enabled Barcelona to pursue a move for Tah. However, recent developments have indicated that he is willing to stay with Barca and there is even a possibility of him signing a new contract.

If Araujo does ink a contract extension, Barcelona will have Cubarsi, Martinez, Andreas Christensen, Eric Garcia and him vying for two starting spots. Given their financial strife, adding a world-class defender like Tah could complicate matters even further for the club

Meanwhile, Real Madrid have reportedly entered the race for Tah's services. Los Blancos have a dearth of centre-backs, with Eder Militao out of the season. Raul Asencio has stepped up to the first team and midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni has been playing out of position at centre-back.

Despite David Alaba's return from injury, Tah will likely be Antonio Rudiger's long-term centre-back partner if he chooses to move to the Santiago Bernabeu. With such a delicate situation developing, it will be interesting to see where the German ends up in the summer.