Let's Talk Tah: FC Bayern Snags German Defender Early for Club World Cup
Bayern Munich reportedly pays lower transfer fee than anticipated for Tah.
Get ready for Jonathan Tah to don the FC Bayern colors early! The Bavarian powerhouse has struck a deal with Bayer Leverkusen to secure the services of the German defender ahead of the Club World Cup, scheduled for June.
According to Fabrizio Romano, "Bild," and Sky, Bayern will shell out a transfer fee - initial reports suggest between €2-4 million - to secure Tah's services before the end of his Leverkusen contract on June 30th. However, the Final Agreement sees Bayern paying a mere €800,000 upfront, with the possibility of additional payments if the team performs well in the tournament.
Without this arrangement, Tah would join Bayern from July 1st, making his Club World Cup debut in the quarter-finals at the earliest. This early payday, though, means the 29-year-old defender could be part of the team's World Cup squad as early as Tuesday and may play against Auckland City by next Sunday.
The FIFA has established a special transfer window exclusively for the Club World Cup participants, allowing them to sign new players or extend contracts until June 10th.
At the moment, Tah represents the German national team. The squad will take on France in the Nations League third-place playoff on Sunday (3:00 PM/RTL and DAZN, also in the ntv.de live ticker).
It remains to be seen if Tom Bischof will join Bayern in the Club World Cup group stage. The midfielder, currently with TSG Hoffenheim, is set to join Munich in the summer. However, both clubs are yet to negotiate Bischof's early release.
Sources: ntv.de, tno/dpa/sid
- FC Bayern Munich
- Football
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen
- Club World Cup 2025
Although Tah initially was set to join Bayern as a free agent from July 1, 2025, Bayern paid a transfer fee of €800,000 to secure his early release for the Club World Cup, with the potential for additional payments, up to €3.2 million, based on performance at the tournament.
The early employment policy by FC Bayern Munich allows defender Jonathan Tah to join the team ahead of the Club World Cup, securing his services for €800,000 before the end of his contract with Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
With the FIFA allowing special transfer windows for Club World Cup participants, Tah could potentially help FC Bayern in European-leagues football beyond the tournament, depending on his performance at the Club World Cup 2025.
