West Ham United have made contact with Bayer Leverkusen over signing their mainstay defender Jonathan Tah, according to Sky Sports.
Who could West Ham sign this summer?
The Hammers managed to avoid Premier League relegation fairly comfortably at the end of last campaign, despite undergoing a real scare midway through the season, with reports even suggesting David Moyes was hanging on by a thread.
However, West Ham's 2022/2023 finish was a solid one, and now the Irons board is tasked with backing Moyes in the transfer market as major clubs circle for star player Declan Rice.
The England international's future will be a major talking point after their Europa Conference League final this evening, and if West Ham opt to sell, Rice's price tag could gift them with a financial windfall to source his replacement.
Moyes is set to stay at West Ham, according to reports, and he apparently has his eyes on a number of potential successors for Rice – including Southampton's James Ward-Prowse, Chelsea's Conor Gallagher and Manchester United's Scott McTominay.
West Ham could also strengthen in defence with Leverkusen defender Tah, who has caps for the German national team, being repeatedly linked with a move to east London.
Sky Sports, sharing news on their live blog (June 5, 17:40), claimed they've made an approach to sign him in the form of an inquiry.
"According to Sky information, several inquiries about Tah have already come in from the island , including from West Ham United," claim the broadcast giant. "Bayer Leverkusen and coach Xabi Alonso definitely want to keep the 27-year-old, but since Tah has a release clause of 18 million euros (£15m), which is relatively low for the level of performance, the competition is very interested."
Who is Jonathan Tah?
The centre-back has been a pivotal figure under Xavi Alonso and was recently voted into the Europa League's Team of the Season.
Tah has also been a mainstay at Bundesliga level – making 33 league appearances last campaign whilst featuring over Leverkusen's fifth-highest number of league minutes (WhoScored).
The 6 foot 4 powerhouse boasts solid defensive stats from 22/23, averaging more clearances per 90 than any other Leverkusen player.
Tah also ranks third in Alonso's squad for interceptions per match, and according to WhoScored, he stands out as a very good ball-playing central defender.
Indeed, he has managed a higher pass accuracy (89.1%) than any of his Leverkusen teammates, perhaps emphasizing why West Ham are keen on his signing this summer.
