Before Jonathan Tah signed for FC Bayern, his future could have looked very different. As Barcelona’s sporting director Deco has now confirmed, the central defender was on the verge of a move to the Spanish top club
When asked whether there was a player who was on the verge of a transfer to FC Barcelona, Deco openly stated: „We were in advanced talks with Jonathan Tah, but it didn’t happen.“
This is the first official confirmation of how concrete the Catalans‘ interest actually was. Tah was already considered the ideal solution for Bayern’s defence last summer – but intensive talks with Barcelona took place at the same time. Coach Hansi Flick in particular, who knows Tah well from their time together, is said to have pushed hard for a signing internally
It was reported at the time that an agreement had been reached in principle between Tah and Barcelona, but the transfer ultimately fell through due to financial constraints and registration issues. The club’s financial situation made it impossible to complete the deal in a timely manner
Tah opted for FC Bayern
For Bayern, this meant a new opportunity. At Säbener Straße, they had prepared the contract documents and waited for the national player’s final go-ahead. Sporting director Max Eberl made no secret of the fact that Tah was planned as a central building block for the realignment of the defence
With his Bundesliga experience, his leadership quality and his consistency, the then 29-year-old was seen as the ideal candidate to take on responsibility in Munich and stabilize the defensive structure in the long term
In the end, the decision was made in favor of FC Bayern. While Barcelona were unable to make a binding deal due to the financial situation, the record champions offered planning security and a clear sporting perspective.
