Liverpool supporters have fallen head over heels for Arne Slot already, with the new era at Anfield spearheaded by the ex-Feyenoord boss starting on a fantastic footing.
Three wins from three in Premier League action means the confident Reds are tied at the top of the league with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who are – unsurprisingly – the only other unbeaten team in the division, but Slot’s men do boast the fact they are yet to even leak a goal.
Despite these staunch defensive displays, the transfer rumour mill seems to indicate that the Premier League title chasers are eyeing up this new centre-back, who could soon be available on a free transfer.
Liverpool pondering free transfer
As has been reported by Caught Offside, Liverpool are keen on a potential deal to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Jonathan Tah, after the central defender nearly joined German giants Bayern Munich this summer.
With Virgil van Dijk’s current deal at Anfield expiring next year, it makes sense that Slot and Co are keeping their options open as to who could join if the Dutch colossus does end up walking away from Liverpool.
Likewise, back at Leverkusen, the reigning Bundesliga champions are unsure about Tah’s future at the club with his contract up next year too, with the Reds tempted down the line to try and secure the 28-year-old on a free transfer.
It is noted that a dream move for the Leverkusen number four would be to join the Premier League, having been linked with a move to Newcastle United in the past, with the allure of the Reds far stronger than the Magpies.
How Tah can be the next Matip
Tah could end up being Liverpool’s next Joel Matip, away from any talk about the Germany international being Van Dijk’s successor, with Matip never looking back after exiting the Bundesliga himself for new pastures back in 2016 when Liverpool came calling.
There are further similarities too, if Tah does end up making the leap to the Premier League, with Matip also joining on a free transfer after his Schalke deal had expired.
The 33-year-old defender would go on to lift a Champions League and a top-flight title during his decorated spell with the Reds, with 11 goals and six assists managed from 201 games, as Matip garnered the reputation for being a consistently steady and reliable option to have around the building.
Tah’s numbers for Leverkusen in Bundesliga – 23/24 | |
|---|---|
Stat (* = per game) | Tah |
Games played | 31 |
Goals scored | 4 |
Assists | 1 |
Touches* | 79.1 |
Accurate passes* | 66.7 (95%) |
Ball recoveries* | 5.2 |
Clearances* | 3.1 |
Total duels won* | 2.9 |
Clean sheets | 12 |
Stats by Sofascore | |
Tah has also proven his worth for Xabi Alonso’s men as a source of goals, with four managed last season on the way to Alonso’s side lifting the Bundesliga proudly aloft, on top of managing 12 important clean sheets too.
Calm on the ball with a 95% pass accuracy averaged per game, Tah does play in a similar way to Matip, who managed 49.8 accurate passes per game last season when he was thrown into action by the now-departed Jurgen Klopp in the Premier League.
Slot would have loved Tah being around on the opening day when he had to hook Jarell Quansah off at half-time versus Ipswich Town, with the 21-year-old nervous against the Tractor Boys.
On the contrary, the Leverkusen star – who stands at a towering 6 foot 5 frame – would have knocked Ipswich’s confidence by imposing himself on to the contest, with one of his former teammates Christoph Kramer once referring to the 28-year-old defender as a “defensive battleship”.
Liverpool didn’t go overboard in the recently closed transfer window with Federico Chiesa joining as the only real notable addition, but they could win themselves an excellent deal soon if they end up landing Tah for nothing, especially if he becomes as dependable as Matip used to be for the Reds.
