---
title: "Newcastle United: Magpies have held Jonathan Tah talks"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/jonathan-tah-transfer-news-liverpool-bayer-leverkusen/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Adam Clancy"
section: "Newcastle United News"
published: "2023-02-11T13:11:09Z"
modified: "2023-02-11T13:11:09Z"
---

# Newcastle United: Magpies have held Jonathan Tah talks

**[Newcastle United](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/newcastle-united-news/) reportedly held talks with Bayer Leverkusen central defender Jonathan Tah in January, and could look to try and sign him in the summer.**

### The Lowdown: Lascelles replacement?

Jamaal Lascelles will [reportedly](https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-newcastle-to-sell-four-senior-stars-as-three-marquee-signings-planned/) be put up for sale this summer, which would leave [Eddie Howe](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/tag/eddie-howe/) with just [three](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/newcastle-united/startseite/verein/762) senior centre-backs in his squad.

One of them in Dan Burn has mainly been deployed as a [left-back](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/dan-burn/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/134270/plus/0?saison=2022&verein=&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&trainer_id=) this season as well, so centre-half will surely be an area that Newcastle will look to target.

### The Latest: Tah talks

Co-writing in his latest piece for [90min](https://www.90min.com/posts/jonathan-tah-premier-league-sides-enquire-bayer-leverkusen-defender), [transfer expert Graeme Bailey](https://twitter.com/GraemeBailey) says that the St. James’ Park outfit have held talks over Tah and the possibility of signing him in January.

Liverpool have done the same, while he has also been recently targeted  by Nottingham Forest, and West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur are also thought to be admirers, while the player himself is thought to be interested in a move to the Premier League.

[Newcastle news!](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/)

### The Verdict: Smart move

Given their lack of depth in the centre-back area, especially if Lascelles leaves, Tah would be a smart move for the North East club this summer.

Once hailed as a ‘[real battleship](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/news/Bundesliga/jonathan-tah-leverkusens-defensive-battleship.jsp)‘ by his former Leverkusen team-mate Christoph Kramer, the six-foot-five colossus ranks in the [80th](https://fbref.com/en/players/bd142efb/Jonathan-Tah) percentile for average clearances made per game of all centre-halves in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year.

Also lauded as [‘quick’ and ‘technically gifted’](https://www.bundesliga.com/en/news/Bundesliga/jonathan-tah-leverkusens-defensive-battleship.jsp) by Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller, Tah ranks in the [84th](https://fbref.com/en/players/bd142efb/Jonathan-Tah) percentile for pass completion rate, showing how well-rounded he is.

Nonetheless, at 27 years of age, the Magpies would be buying a player in his prime, who could slot straight in the heart of the defence.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”418867″\]