Manchester United are mulling over a January move for Bayer Leverkusen’s defensive stalwart Jonathan Tah.
Should the Red Devils ignite their pursuit of the centre-back, they could face stern competition from Premier League rivals West Ham United and Newcastle United, the latter of which is a fellow top-four contender.
Eddie Howe is navigating key losses to his backline such as Sven Botman and Dan Burn, while Lisandro Martinez, Jonny Evans, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are all the defenders currently absent for the Reds.
Amidst the debilitating injury crisis for both clubs, the managers will likely be pushed to acquire mid-season reinforcements in hopes of salvaging their form.
Tah enjoying life at Leverkusen
Tah is believed to be rated at around £20 million, as per The Sun. He has earned 19 caps for Germany throughout his senior career and has spent eight years with Leverkusen since signing on a £6.5m deal from Hamburg in 2015.
The 27-year-old has been a powerhouse for the club this season as they currently sit atop the Bundesliga and their Europa League Group, boasting an unbeaten run of 17 matches; 16 wins and one draw, which came against Bayern Munich.
With this in mind though, Xabi Alonso will likely be reluctant to sanction the exit of such a key player in the winter and could rebuff all outside interest.