'My bags were packed, literally' - Jonathan Tah explains how Xabi Alonso's 'natural aura' convinced him to snub Bayern Munich move and stay at Bayer Leverkusen for one more season despite deal being '90% done'

Tah has lifted the lid on the emotional rollercoaster that saw him nearly join Bayern last year, only to remain at Leverkusen following a deeply personal conversation with Alonso. The German international revealed that his bags were packed and his mind was almost made up before the Spaniard intervened with words that struck a powerful chord.

Tah revealed that the agreement was virtually complete — “90% done” — and a switch to the Bavarian giants seemed all but inevitable. Nonetheless, he continued training with Leverkusen during pre-season, partly to maintain routine and partly to share his final few days with the team-mates he had grown up with over nearly a decade. However, football often defies logic, and Tah’s story is a prime example of how one conversation can change everything.

"My bags were packed — literally. But it turns out that in the business of football, 90% means nothing," he said in a column for The Players' Tribune.

He added: "One day, when it looked like the deal was done, I got a text from Xabi. 'Jona, let’s have a chat.'

"We went to the meeting room, and Xabi, he has this natural aura... it’s hard to even say what it is, but it’s in the way he speaks and looks you in the eye. Sincerity like that can be rare in football. You know what he did as a player, but it’s even more about how he treats you as a person. He commands absolute respect.

"We had quite a deep chat. I don’t want to go into the exact details of what he said, but I’d been at Leverkusen for nine years, and he knew exactly how much this club means to me. He began talking about the qualities I bring to the team, and the influence I had on my teammates, and I got the feeling that he really saw me as someone special."

Despite last year’s decision to stay, Tah has now completed his move to Bayern after his contract concluded with Leverkusen, signing a contract that runs until 2029. Wearing the No. 4 shirt, Tah is set to be a key figure in Vincent Kompany’s plans as Bayern look to reassert their dominance on the international stage. The German defender will feature in the Club World Cup in the United States this June, where he could make his first competitive appearance in Bayern colours.