Barcelona’s search for an experienced partner for Pau Cubarsí has led Deco to Munich. The answer, first reported by Sky Sport Germany on Monday evening, is a clear no.

The club’s sporting director has made a formal enquiry about Jonathan Tah ahead of the January window, according to Goal citing the Sky exclusive. Deco wants a senior centre-back alongside 19-year-old Cubarsí, and Tah, a 30-year-old Germany international, is the name he has settled on.

Bayern see no reason to sell

Bayern’s position, according to Sky Sport Germany, is firm. The club under Vincent Kompany sees no reason to let Tah leave in January and regards him as part of their longer-term plans.

Bayern signed Tah from Bayer Leverkusen in 2025 on a free transfer, with a contract running until 30 June 2029. He has lost his starting place in recent weeks to Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae, as FCBInside details, but the club has no intention of letting his drop down the pecking order trigger a mid-season exit.

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Tah himself is said to feel at home at Säbener Straße, Bayern’s training base, and is reportedly focused on winning his place back. He remains a regular in the Germany squad.

Cubarsí needs a partner

The enquiry reflects a defensive problem Barcelona have not fully solved this season. Cubarsí has most often been paired with Gerard Martín, while Eric García and Andreas Christensen have provided cover, Goal reports. None of those three has locked down the slot next to the teenager, and the brief handed to Deco is for a physically imposing, experienced name.

Tah fits that brief on paper. Barcelona had already looked at him once before, while he was still at Leverkusen, but did not match the Bundesliga side’s valuation. He joined Bayern on a free transfer the following year, on a deal that still has more than two and a half years to run.

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