Director admits £15m man wants Prem move as West Ham lead Liverpool in race

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Jonathan Tah wants to play in the Premier League with West Ham United, Newcastle United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur all linked with the Bayer Leverkusen defender. 

That is according to Simon Rolfes; the Bundesliga club’s sporting director.

Reports linking Jonathan Tah with a move to England are nothing new. But with the Germany international entering his peak at the age of 27 – and with a very affordable £15 million release clause in his contract – now may be the ideal time for a change of scenery after eight years in the dark red of Bayer Leverkusen. 

Sky Germany report that West Ham United are one of a number of England-based clubs to lodge an ‘enquiry’ for the one-time Hamburg colossus. 

West Ham lead the race for £15m Jonathan Tah

“If he doesn’t sense the right opportunity (to leave), there’s always a chance that he’ll stay,” a hopeful Rolfes tells BILD. 

“(But) he always had the goal of playing in the Premier League. We set up his current deal so that he could do so. If he has a chance to realise that now, it’s okay.”

Tah might not have fulfilled the potential that saw him labelled one of Europe’s most exciting young defenders a decade ago, but this 6ft 5ins sky-scraper of a centre-half could still be an excellent pound-for-pound signing at just £15 million. 

In addition to West Ham, who face Fiorentina in tonight’s UEFA Conference League final, there is interest from Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Newcastle United (90Min). 

“He has rightly been selected for the Europa League Team of the Season. He played a very good second half of the season,” Rolfes adds; Leverkusen bowing out in the semi-finals vs Roma.

“Even in games where the team was not so good, he played well. In the difficult games, Jona has taken an important role.”

Liverpool, Newcastle and Spurs are all in the market for defensive reinforcements. Liverpool have been linked with the Dutch trio Perr Schuurs, Jurrien Timber and Micky Van de Ven. At Tottenham, Eric Dier, Ben Davies and Barcelona loanee Clement Lenglet could all depart.