The Next Jerome Boateng? Introducing Bayern Munich Target Jonathan Tah

Jonathan Tah has been a hot topic in the German press as of late, the Bayer Leverkusen defender having developed a reputation as one of the Bundesliga's hottest stars. On Saturday, he put on a masterclass in defending alongside the similarly impressive Omer Toprak as the Werkself held league leaders Bayern Munich to a scoreless draw.

On Monday, Bild (h/t Der Westen) reported that Joachim Low was considering Tah as a possible replacement should Jerome Boateng be unfit to play at Euro 2016. And on Wednesday, Sport Bild revealed Tah had also caught the eye of Bayern scouts, who have reportedly watched him throughout the season.

The player's stock is rising. He's among the Bundesliga's best defenders and likened to the great Boateng—impressive for a lad who only turned 20 on Thursday.

It's easy to see how Tah is comparable to Boateng. Both players spent their early years at Hamburg and have similar skill sets. Despite his youth, according to Transfermarkt, Tah, at 1.94 meters, is actually two centimeters taller than Boateng; he is built like a tank, and his physical strength and aerial prowess are obvious assets.

Yet like Boateng, Tah is more than just an athlete. He has a good touch, he is not shy to get involved in the passing game and is impressively two-footed.

Tah's potential has long been known. Even as a 16-year-old, Arsenal and Manchester United had eyes on him; according to Metro, the Red Devils even made an approach for him in 2012. His name again appeared in the British press in early 2014, following a dispute over a contract extension he'd signed at HSV. The Daily Mail reported that Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and United were keen to swoop for the defender.

It was a logical step as the player had emerged as a first-team player at Hamburg at just 17 years of age. Yet his situation in his hometown was becoming toxic. Not only were the club struggling for survival in the Bundesliga but a dispute as to the validity of a contract extension he signed—which turned out to be longer than FIFA statutes allow for underage players—effectively ended his time at Hamburg. After Round 19 of the 2013-14 Bundesliga season, he was demoted to the reserves.

The following season, Tah was loaned to 2. Bundesliga side Fortuna Dusseldorf. It proved to be just what he needed. The youngster settled well and had a great season. It was enough to draw the admiration of Leverkusen, and last July, the Werkself signed Tah after Hamburg accepted a €7.5 million, per Transfermarkt, offer.

Tah was surely meant to be an investment for the future, but as a result of an injury to Toprak, he had plenty of opportunities to play early in the campaign. Because of his consistently impressive performances, Roger Schmidt has had him play every minute of every match this season. Kyriakos Papadopoulos, once a wonderkid in his own right, can only look on from the bench these days.

In addition to drawing the admiration of Low and Bayern, Tah was ranked by Kicker (h/t Darmstadt's Twitter account) as the sixth-best center-back in Germany based on his performances in the first half of the campaign, well ahead of established stars such as Mats Hummels and Sokratis Papastathopoulos and esteemed youngsters Andreas Christensen and Niklas Sule.

Leverkusen managed to tie down Tah until 2020, but if the center-back continues to impress, particularly at this summer's Olympics, they could soon receive an offer they can't refuse. Still so young and with so much talent waiting to be tapped, the sky is the limit for Tah.

@Mr_Bundesliga