Bayern Munich got ahead of Hansi Flick’s FC Barcelona and sealed the signing of Jonathan Tah, a 29-year-old German international defender. The center-back, who was a free agent after his contract with Bayer Leverkusen ended, has signed with the Bavarian side until June 30, 2029, as the club officially announced on Friday.

From early promise to Leverkusen’s rock at the back

Born in Hamburg, Tah started out at local clubs like Altona 93 and Concordia, before joining Hamburger SV, where he made history as the club’s youngest-ever debutant at just 17. After a loan spell at Fortuna Düsseldorf, he joined Leverkusen in 2015 and quickly established himself as one of the country’s top center-backs.

Under Xabi Alonso, now manager of Real Madrid, Tah was a key figure in Leverkusen’s incredible season, where they won the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal, and the German Super Cup. He played 402 games for the club, scoring 18 goals and adding 13 assists.

A solid addition to Bayern’s defense

For the national team, Jonathan Tah has earned 35 caps since making his debut in March 2016. With an Ivorian father and a German mother, he’s been part of the squads for Euro 2016 and Euro 2024, and also captained the U19 and U21 national teams. He’ll be wearing the number 4 shirt in his new chapter at Bayern.

“I’m really happy to join FC Bayern. I want to take responsibility and give everything every day to help the team succeed and win lots of titles,” Tah said in the club’s official statement.

Jan-Christian Dreesen, the club’s CEO, also shared his thoughts: “We’re very happy to welcome Jonathan Tah. As a regular international and natural leader, he brings reliability and quality. He’ll strengthen our defense, and he’s already proven he can win trophies.”