West Ham United are reportedly interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen’s Burkinabe centre-back Edmond Tapsoba in the summer window.
According to Calciomercato, West Ham United are considering launching a summer swoop for Bayer Leverkusen and Burkina Faso defender Edmond Tapsoba.
The 23-year-old started out his footballing journey at Salitas in his homeland before moving to Portugal in 2017 when he joined Leixoes. After just six months at the club, Tapsoba was signed by Vitoria Guimaraes where he spent two years and made 32 senior appearances before joining Leverkusen in January 2020.
Since arriving in Germany, Tapsoba has been a regular fixture in the Leverkusen defence and has featured 88 times for the club, even scoring three goals. Standing at 6ft 4in, the 23-year-old cuts an imposing presence at the box and has made a solid impression during his time with the Bundesliga outfit.
Capped 26 times by the Burkina Faso national team, Tapsoba had been linked with Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United last summer, but a move did not materialise. Having stayed put at the BayArena, the 23-year-old could now get his move to the Premier League this summer, with West Ham United interested in signing him.
West Ham United are in the market for reinforcements in the centre-back department. Angelo Ogbonna’s contract expires at the end of the season. Even if the club decide to extend it, the Italian is in the final phase of his career and would be returning from a lengthy layoff due to a serious knee injury.
Furthermore, Issa Diop could be allowed to leave by David Moyes’ side, which would leave them short-handed in the defensive region. With Craig Dawson also into his thirties, it would make sense for the east London club to sign a young defender who can form a stable partnership with Kurt Zouma for the foreseeable future.
It has led to links with several defenders from across Europe, with Tapsoba emerging as the latest name on West Ham’s radars. The 23-year-old has a contract until 2026 with Bayer Leverkusen, which could become an issue for West Ham United as the German giants are in a position to demand significant fees for their defensive ace.
So, it remains to be seen if Moyes and West Ham act on their reported interest in Tapsoba or decide to look at other options like Everton’s Michael Keane, who could be sold if the Toffees get relegated.
