West Ham United remain interested in bringing Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah to the London Stadium despite the expiration of a release clause in his contract, according to Football Transfers.com.
The 27-year-old centre-back had been available for £15m thanks to a clause in his contract with the German side, but that has now expired meaning the Irons would have to pay a more considerable fee to secure Tah’s services.
David Moyes has been looking to strengthen his defensive options, with links to Manchester United’s Harry Maguire and Real Betis’ Luiz Felipe, but Football Transfers’ writer Steve Kay reports the German is as likely a target, having previously expressed his desire to play in the Premier League.
Reporting on the status of the transfer, Kay wrote: “We are told Bayer would still sell if the right price is offered for the player, and that the Premier League side have a large interest in the 27-year-old.
“Tah had a €18 million release clause inserted into his contract but the fact it’s now not active out has not deterred West Ham from approaching.
“The Hammers recoup a significant sum from the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal, with some £105 million extra for their transfer kitty. Tah has fallen down the ranks at Bayer while West Ham are looking to solidify their defence ahead of the upcoming season.”
Tah has been at Leverkusen since 2015 and has been a consistent performer, earning his way into Germany’s international camps and impressing the masses, but in the last few seasons, he has fallen in standing as his form has worsened.
Even with a decrease in his form, Tah managed to start 28 Bundesliga matches and five Champions League matches before also impressing as the German side progressed to the semi-finals of the Europa League so his quality is very much evident.
The Irons need to strengthen their back-line, especially with the coming season including European football once more and the thought of adding a defender with as much European experience as Tah would be an excellent signing for Moyes.
However, if the Hammers didn’t act on the opportunity to secure the German international on a cut price with the now expired release clause, it feels even less likely that they would be willing to spend more only weeks later, even with their now increased budget after selling Rice.
In other West Ham news, Danny Ings has been linked with a surprising move back to one of his former clubs
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