Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly been handed a major transfer boost in their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba, who is keen to sign for the Lilywhites this summer.
According to Daily Mail, 24-year-old Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba is eager to head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as long as an agreement is reached between Spurs and the Bundesliga club.
Tottenham are eager to bolster their defence after conceding a whopping 63 goals in 38 games in the league as they finished eighth in the Premier League table, missing out on European football next season. As such, they have already agreed a £17.2 million move for Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, and talks over the Italian’s move to north London are at an advanced stage.
Vicario’s arrival could pave the way for Hugo Lloris to leave the club this summer. As far as the defence in front of the Italian shot-stopper is concerned, Ben Davies, Davinson Sanchez, and Eric Dier have all been linked with a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur stadium this summer, while the exit of Clement Lenglet would force Spurs into reinforcing their defensive options.
To that end, the Lilywhites have seemingly identified Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba as one of their top targets and have ramped up their pursuit of the defensive powerhouse in recent days.
The Burkina Faso international joined the Bundesliga side from Vitoria de Guimaraes in 2020 and has since established himself as a vital cog at BayArena. Regarded as one of the top talents in Germany, he has racked up 137 appearances, scoring five times and recording two assists across all competitions for Leverkusen.
He had an outstanding 2022/23 season, where he featured in 47 games in all competitions and made four goal contributions as Xabi Alonso’s side reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League and successfully recovered from an early-season slump to finish sixth in the Bundesliga.
His brilliant performances in the Bundesliga have caught the eye of several Premier League clubs. However, it is Tottenham who seem to be closing in on a move for the talented centre-back.
The right-footed, 6ft 4in imposing centre-back usually plays on the left side of a central defensive partnership and has outstanding all-around qualities, including skill with the ball at his feet, breakneck acceleration, excellent composure in tight spaces, and sound distribution.
All of that makes him the perfect modern-day centre-back and a big upgrade on someone like Lenglet, who, for all his progressive ball-playing abilities, was sluggish in his defensive work. It remains to be seen if this move goes through.
But with the player himself giving the green light, Spurs have plenty of incentive to go and make a bid for the defender. This is definitely one to keep an eye on in the upcoming weeks, especially if Tottenham table a strong opening offer.
