When Chelsea appointed Mauricio Pochettino in the summer, Todd Boehly would not have envisaged the club sitting in the bottom half of the Premier League table just two weeks before Christmas.
The Blues have recorded just five league wins across their 16 matches thus far, losing seven and the Argentinian will certainly be feeling the pressure following their recent 2-0 defeat to Everton.
It remains to be seen whether Boehly will give him time, but another loss to Sheffield United this weekend could see the club drop even further down the league table.
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The American has spent over £1b since taking over the club, a grotesque amount, and with nothing to show for it, the tensions are starting to boil.
With the January transfer window fast approaching, Pochettino will no doubt have more funds to spend if he is still in charge by that point.
The club have conceded 26 goals in their 16 matches in the league thus far and, while they have the seventh-best attacking record in the table, their defence is proving to be a major weak point.
With this in mind, it looks as though the former Paris Saint-Germain coach is targeting a swoop for a defender shining in the Bundesliga…
Chelsea transfer news – Jonathan Tah
According to German outfit Kicker (via the Sun), the Blues are reportedly leading the chase for Tah, but they will face some tough competition from Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in order to secure his signature.
The move will not cost Boehly as much as some others, with Tah having a release clause of just £15.5m inserted into his current contract, and it certainly makes him a viable asset for the club.
There is a catch, however, as that fee will become active next summer, meaning a move next month may be slightly more difficult to make, especially if the club don’t want to shell out a fortune.
Bayer Leverkusen also may not be keen on selling next month either, regardless of any potential offers arriving, as they will be without two of their centre-backs due to the African Cup of Nations.
The Stamford Bridge side could do with a reliable defender and Tah would be an ideal signing with the club potentially set to repeat their Kai Havertz masterclass in the process.
Kai Havertz’s time at Chelsea in numbers
The German joined the Premier League club in the summer of 2020 following an impressive spell at Leverkusen where he scored 46 goals and grabbed 31 assists in 150 matches. This sort of form attracted interest from afar, but it was Chelsea who secured his signature.
The then 21-year-old didn’t come cheap, however, with Leverkusen holding out for a transfer fee of £75.8m, but it wouldn’t be long before he started to repay this amount.
Across 45 matches in all competitions, Havertz netted nine times along with registering eight assists, and while it was a far cry from the numbers posted during his final season in Germany (18 goals and nine assists), it was an indication that he had settled into English football rather well.
His most important contribution came at the Estadio do Dragao in May 2021 as he collected a pass from Mason Mount before rounding Ederson and slotting the ball home just minutes before half-time with the goal sealing the Champions League title for the Blues.
It was arguably the crowning moment of his career to date and during the next two seasons he netted 14 and nine goals respectively, yet he only added the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup to his trophy collection.
The German was sold to Arsenal in the summer for a fee of £65m, meaning they recouped a large amount of the initial transfer fee they signed him for.
His final season in London may not have been the best, but Chelsea may not have won the Champions League with the forward and signing Tah from Leverkusen could allow Pochettino to repeat that previous transfer success.
Jonathan Tah’s season in numbers
Leverkusen are currently running Bayern Munich close for the Bundesliga title following an imperious start to the 2023/24 campaign under the leadership of Xabi Alonso.
The club have yet to lose in the league, and they have only conceded 12 goals in 14 matches, the best record in the top flight, with Tah playing an integral role.
Accurate passes per game
62.7
86
Aerial duels won per game
1.6
1
Tackles per game
1
1.5
Interceptions per game
0.4
0.3
Clearances per game
4.1
2.5
The defender currently ranks fourth among the squad for accurate passes per game (62.7) while ranking first for clearances per game and the 27-year-old has won a staggering 75% of his aerial duels throughout the campaign – 1.6 per game – demonstrating how effective he has been at the heart of their defence.
The German was hailed as a defensive “battleship” by his former teammate Christoph Kramer, and he has certainly exuded those qualities over the previous 12 months, as he has emerged as one of the finest defenders in the German top flight.
The Leverkusen gem hasn’t just impressed with his presence in the heart of the defence either, as his passing skills have allowed him to give Alonso an option who can start regular attacks from his own half.
Indeed according to FBref, Tah currently ranks in the top 3% for pass completion percentage (92.7%) when compared to his positional peers over the previous 12 months, and it proves he has a variety of skills which could certainly see him shine at Chelsea.
A move might be tough to pull off in the January transfer window, but it might not stop Pochettino from trying, especially with how poor his back four have been on occasions this season.
Tah has significantly impressed in the Bundesliga since the start of the season and this could perhaps be his last chance to secure a move to the Premier League, especially as he will turn 28 in February, indicating that he could be approaching his peak years.
January will be here sooner rather than later and the Argentinian has plenty on his mind to ponder, that’s for sure.