Jonathan Tah warned to think twice about joining Bayern Munich as Lothar Matthaus admits he may be better off staying at Bayer Leverkusen

Posted Tuesday, July 30, 2024 by Goal.com

Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus has suggested Jonathan Tah might be better served resisting a summer transfer to stay at Bayer Leverkusen.

Matthaus questions Tah pursuit
Leverkusen defender may not start
Transfer yet to materialise

WHAT HAPPENED?

Tah has been urged to consider how much playing time he might get at Bayern and whether he is even the right fit for the Bavarian giants if a transfer from Leverkusen is to go ahead in the summer transfer window.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Tah has been linked with Bayern throughout the summer and he was seemingly pushing from the inside by refusing to extend his Leverkusen contract. But things haven't progressed, with Bayern spending heavily on players in other positions instead - including winger Michael Olise and midfielder Joao Palhinha.

WHAT LOTHAR MATTHAUS SAID

Matthaus said in a column for Sky Sport Germany: "If you really wanted Jonathan Tah, you would pay €25 million (£21m/$27m) for him. It's a game of poker, that's part of it, but if I were Tah, I would ask myself: 'Why are they buying other players for a total of €125m and not me, even though they want me?'

"Tah, in the form he had in Leverkusen's championship season, would certainly be a reinforcement. But it is not known whether he would be guaranteed a place in Munich. He also doesn't seem to be very comfortable with the back four that Munich prefers. At the European Championship, he had some wobbles in his game in this system, but in Leverkusen he was more stable.

"There is also the question of whether he would get the same support in Munich - from everyone - that he got in Leverkusen from [Xabi] Alonso, [Simon] Rolfes and [Fernando] Carro. Tah has to think about whether he wants to leave the club with which he has built something really big and grown and matured as a person."

WHAT NEXT?

Bayern need to decide how they will react to new €30m (£25m/$33m) signing Hiroki Ito being ruled out for the foreseeable future with a broken foot. The Japanese centre-back was only recruited in June.