FC Barcelona and Real Madrid were chasing the same player, but Laporta has taken the lead over Florentino and secured him for Barça. Hansi Flick is to blame.
On paper, Real Madrid was the club that needed his reinforcement the most. However, Barcelona, which has plenty of central defenders, has finally captured the prize.
Jonathan Tah ● Welcome to Barcelona 🔵🔴🇩🇪 Best Defensive Skills & Passes
Central defender from Bayer Leverkusen and the German national team Jonathan Tahwill wear blaugrana next season.
He'll Join Barça with a Free Transfer in Hand
He's a seasoned player, at 28 years old, the prime age for a player. Additionally, Tah's contract ends on June 30 and he'll join the Spanish league free of charge.
He's a central defender with extensive experience in the Bundesliga. He has played with Hamburg, Fortuna Düsseldorf, and currently with Bayer Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso.
Although Flick was the one who got the player's approval, Tah is very grateful to his assistant, Marcus Song. It was he who made him an international with the German U-19 team when he was only 18 years old.
Tah is a physical marvel at 6 feet 5 inches tall (1.95m). That's taller than the current Araújo, Christensen, Cubarsí, Íñigo Martínez, or Eric García.
Excellent Scorer in Corners and Free Kicks
That physical prowess has allowed him to score 16 goals in the 378 matches he has accumulated with Bayer Leverkusen. Besides being unbeatable in his marking, he has an excellent ball distribution, a trait highly valued at Barça.
Additionally, he's an elegant and clean defender. Only 4 expulsions in 500 matches. Of those, only two were direct red cards.
The best praise this player has received came from Real Madrid player Antonio Rüdiger, with whom he shares the line in the German national team.
"He's the best central defender in the Bundesliga," said Antonio Rüdiger about FC Barcelona's new transfer.
That the controversial Real Madrid player speaks in such terms about Tah is a very good sign for Barcelona fans.