Jonathan Ta confirmed that Bayer Leberkusen would leave as a free agent when his contract expired at the end of the season.
“It all said from the beginning. There was a point in time when we decided not to extend our contract and not to stay here.”
“It’s just as it is now,” the German defender told Kicker.
The 29-year-old defender’s future has, of course, been the subject of intense speculation for months, and at this point his destination remains unknown to the public. The planned free agent is strongly linked to Bayern Munich and Barcelona, but Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester United are also recognized as interested.
In all competitions, he has already played 398 times for the club, scoring 19 goals and contributed 13 assists, surpassing Leverkusen’s 400-game mark. He was a regular starter under Xabi Alonso and played a major role in Leverkusen’s Bundesliga Triumph last season. He has represented Germany 35 times.