Liverpool and Tottenham miss chance of bargain £15m deal as clause expires

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Premier League trio Liverpool, Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur have missed the chance to sign Jonathan Tah for a bargain £15 million with the release clause in his Bayer Leverkusen contract expiring this week.

In the words of Leverkusen’s sporting director Simon Rolfes, the Bundesliga giants can now ‘negotiate freely’ should a Liverpool, a Newcastle, a Tottenham or even a West Ham United now come calling for their German international colossus.

Jonathan Tah had, until recently, a £15 million release clause in his contract. A bargain of a fee for a centre-half of his quality and experience, even if the former Hamburg man has not quite developed into the world-leading centre-half some expected him to become.

Either way, with the Premier League quartet looking to add some defensive depth to their ranks, failing to bring in Tah for a fee below the £20 million mark feels like something of a missed opportunity. 

Jonathan Tah keen on Premier League move

The 27-year-old giant would have been available for around half the fee Torino want for Perr Schuurs, for example; the Dutchman reportedly the subject of a bid from Liverpool and interest from West Ham.

Tottenham may soon need a replacement for Davinson Sanchez with clubs in Russia and Turkey expressing an interest. Newcastle, meanwhile, want a right-sided centre-half to act as competition for Fabian Schar. 

It is unlikely, meanwhile, that Tah would have rebuffed the advances of one of England’s biggest clubs; Rolfes confirming that the 16-time German international still hopes to play in the Premier League at some point in his career.

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

Liverpool and West Ham may now step up their interest in Schuurs over the coming weeks. Torino are holding out for over £30 million, with Crystal Palace submitting a club-record bid.