Jonathan Tah is looking ahead again after a disappointing World Cup. The center back is currently on the Audi Summer Tour in South Korea with FC Bayern—and has been impressed by the two summer signings, Nathaniel Brown and Ismael Saibari.
After the German national team’s bitter World Cup exit against Paraguay—in which Tah missed the decisive penalty kick—the 30-year-old initially took some time off to clear his head. The center back is now back in full team training and preparing for the new season with the record champions.
In an interview with Sky, Tah had particularly high praise for Nathaniel Brown. The defensive leader already knows the national team player from their time together on the DFB squad.
“I know Nene a little better now through the national team. He has an incredible array of qualities. He can really contribute a lot to the team, both offensively and defensively,” Tah explained.
With his dynamism and speed, Brown is a perfect fit for Vincent Kompany’s style of play. High-line defending and intense work off the ball in particular require fast fullbacks—qualities the 23-year-old has already demonstrated at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Saibari is also making an impression
In addition to Brown, Tah also commented on Ismael Saibari, who transferred from PSV Eindhoven to Munich for around 50 million euros.
“We’ve played against Ismael before. It was a pleasure to watch him in a few of his World Cup matches,” said the center back. Tah is particularly impressed by the attacking player’s versatility: “He’s an extremely well-rounded attacking player who can be deployed in various roles and consistently creates moments of surprise. He’s very difficult to mark because he’s physically strong yet technically skilled. So I’m looking forward to seeing both of them.”
While Brown is already traveling through Asia with the team and preparing for appearances in the friendly matches against Jeju SK and Aston Villa, Saibari is still working on his comeback in Munich following the muscle tear he suffered at the World Cup.
Tah himself is also being brought back gradually following his delayed return. The defensive leader is expected to be back at full strength by the Franz-Beckenbauer Super Cup against Borussia Dortmund on August 22 at the latest, where he’ll join the two new signings in strengthening FC Bayern’s defense.