Vincent Kompany: Bayern Munich defender Jonathan Tah will age like fine wine

The Germany international joined from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, with board member for sport Max Eberl playing a key role in securing his release and sporting director Christoph Freund also contributing significantly to the deal.

Tah was freed in time to link up with Bayern's squad for the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, a move that proved particularly beneficial for Kompany.

The tournament, treated as a serious competition rather than a set of friendlies, effectively handed the centre-back a competitive pre-season under the new head coach.

Since then, Tah has been a model of reliability. He has made 30 appearances across all competitions, scoring three goals and registering two assists.

He has not missed a single match through injury and has been an unused substitute only three times in the Bundesliga, including the 2-2 draw against Mainz in December.

Alongside Dayot Upamecano, who recently signed a much-anticipated contract extension, Tah has formed a solid central defensive partnership.

"I had the three or four most successful years of my career after turning 30. I've been following Jona for some time; he was one of my successors at HSV, then he went to Leverkusen," said Kompany.

"He's steadily improved. He's now in his prime. Being a defender isn't just about winning duels, it's also about communication. You bring that with experience. Jona has that, and we're very happy with him."