Barcelona’s efforts to bolster their defense this summer have suffered a massive setback as Inter Milan hover over an important target.
The Catalan giants were confident in their ability to sign a highly rated center-back on a free transfer, after waiting quite some time for their chance after identifying his talent, but with concerns over finances and squad depth, the Blaugrana hesitated, allowing other clubs to enter the fray.
In doing so, these clubs have now enabled a large Serie A team to make their moves to hijack the deal before it is too late.
The defender has amassed respectable international caps and has proven himself at one of the top leagues in Europe, and with months of talks in the works, he looked destined for Camp Nou.
However, Barcelona’s Financial Fair Play restrictions and need for defensive depth caused hesitation in the negotiation process.
In doing this, other elite clubs have sat up and noticed that the Camp Nou may be a possibility, and indeed, one Italian powerhouse is now pushing for the signature.
The player at the heart of this tug-of-war is Jonathan Tah, the 29-year-old Bayer Leverkusen defender whose contract expires in the summer.
After a strong season in Serie A, Inter Milan has identified Tah as just the player they need to bolster their backline, according to Calciomercato.
Stefan de Vrij and Francesco Acerbi are aging, and the Nerazzurri see the German defender as a low-cost, high-quality alternative.
His experience, physicality, and free transfer availability certainly present an intriguing prospect in a market priced at an all-time high.
Barcelona has a verbal agreement in place with Tah, but Inter’s activity means Barcelona may have to move fast or miss out altogether.
After the Catalans’ recent delayed movements, Real Madrid had already been showing interest before Inter entered the fray.
If Barcelona is not able to negotiate terms quickly, they could face a severe blow to their defensive overhaul, with Tah going to San Siro as opposed to Catalonia.
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