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Report: Arsenal want Bayer Leverkusen enforcer Jonathan Tah

Lee Clarke

Wed 19 February 2020 8:45, UK

Arsenal are interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah during the summer transfer window,

Tah has played 26 games in all competitions during 2019/20 and is in his fifth year at Leverkusen having joined from Hamburg.

The uncompromising central defender has nine caps for the Germany national team and has helped Leverkusen to six clean sheets in the Bundesliga this season.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta will surely try and bolster his defensive ranks during the summer. Pablo Mari arrived in January on loan but a long-term solution might be sought in the close season.

Callum Chambers is currently out injured long-term and David Luiz, Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis are all capable of moments of madness.

Tah has a release clause in his Leverkusen contract of and Arsenal are considering activating that in the summer.

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last six games under Arteta, winning twice and drawing four games. On Sunday they trounced Newcastle 4-0 to secure back-to-back clean sheets for the first time this season.

The Gunners squad will probably have more of Arteta’s stamp on it when next season kicks off in August.

The boss has identified ball-playing midfielders as a target and restoring a possession-based style of play back to the team is something which Arteta is keen to do.

Time

One thing that Arsenal must give Arteta is the freedom to crack on and do his job without him having to worry about getting the sack.

The early signs under Arteta are positive and going six games unbeaten looked unthinkable towards the end of the Unai Emery era.

Tah could prove an attractive signing. He has bags of experience in a top European league, he wouldn’t break the back and perhaps more crucially he is only 24.

For £33 million, the German could prove a steal for Arsenal.