Min-jae Kim (29, Bayern Munich)'s competitor has arrived. Germany national team defender Jonathan Ta (29) will wear the Bayern Munich uniform.

Bayern Munich officially announced on the 29th (Korea time) through its website and other official channels that it has signed a contract with Jonathan Ta until June 30, 2029. Ta, whose contract with Bayer Leverkusen expired, received the jersey number '4' that was worn by Matthijs de Ligt.

Ta, a product of the Hamburg youth system, made his first-team debut on Aug. 23, 2013, at the age of 17 years and 5 months. This was also the youngest debut record in the club's history.

Afterward, Ta was loaned to Fortuna Düsseldorf, where he played 23 matches before transferring to Bayer Leverkusen ahead of the 2015-2016 season. He went on to total 402 matches (18 goals, 13 assists) at Leverkusen, where he played as a central defender.

In particular, Ta led Bayer Leverkusen to victories in the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal during the 2023-2024 season and also clinched the German Supercup, marking the peak of his career. Ta, who made his debut in international matches in March 2016, has played 35 international matches, including Euro 2016 and Euro 2024.

Ta expressed his determination through the Bayern Munich website, saying, "I am very happy to join Bayern. I will work hard every day with a sense of responsibility to help the team achieve success. I want to lift many trophies together."

Jan Christian Dreesen, CEO of Bayern Munich, noted, "We are very happy to have signed Ta. He is a player with international experience and leadership, and we expect that he will further strengthen our defense with his consistency and quality."

Max Eberl, Bayern's sports director, emphasized, "Ta is a player we have been watching for a long time. He is a person with a sense of responsibility, and I am even more pleased that he chose Bayern despite receiving numerous offers."

Director General Christoph Proint evaluated, "Ta is a player with international experience and high skills. He will quickly adapt to the team both in terms of technical ability and leadership as well as attitude."

Ta's joining Bayern Munich is not good news for Min-jae Kim. German outlet Bild projected the day before that Ta would become the new defensive leader, providing stability, and that his partner next season would be Dayot Upamecano.

In fact, local media, including Bild, report that Kim Min-jae is expected to be pushed to the bench due to Ta's addition. Bayern Munich is also internally prioritizing the Ta-Upamecano duo, placing Kim Min-jae on the list of players to be sold this summer.

[OSEN]