Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in advanced talks with the representatives of Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba, who could cost Spurs around €50 million this summer.
According to 90min, Tottenham Hotspur continue to push for both Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven deals. Negotiations with both central defenders are at an advanced stage, but it remains to be seen who the North London club will eventually end up prioritising to bolster their defence.
Spurs fans would be absolutely delighted with the window they’ve had thus far. In Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison, they have strengthened two key areas of the squad, while winger Manor Solomon has arrived to replace Arnaut Danjuma, who returned to Villarreal after his slightly underwhelming loan spell at Spurs. Ange Postecoglou’s attention now turns to his defence.
Spurs conceded a woeful 63 goals in the Premier League last season, which was ultimately the main reason they finished eighth in the league table. Now Postecoglou is looking to bring in multiple defenders this summer as well as offload some of his current ones.
It has been reported that Ben Davies, Davinson Sanchez, and Japhet Tanganga will all be allowed to leave Tottenham. Tottenham need at least two new centre-backs to replace the aforementioned names this summer.
As such, they have been linked to numerous options in recent times. Victor Nelsson, Aymeric Laporte, and Harry Maguire have all been name-checked as potential targets, but Tapsoba and Wolfsburg’s Micky van de Ven have emerged as serious options, with Fabrizio Romano recently stating that the Lilywhites are expected to sign just one of the two.
Tapsoba, for one, is widely considered to be one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga, so he could prove to be an excellent signing for Tottenham.
Since arriving at Leverkusen in 2020, the 6ft 4in centre-back has racked up 137 appearances across all competitions, chipping in with five goals in the process.
While Tapsoba is considered a key player at Leverkusen and is under contract until 2026, it is believed the 24-year-old is keen on a switch to the Premier League.
The report from 90min suggests that Spurs were previously concerned about Tapsoba’s pursuit owing to increased interest from rivals such as Liverpool, Manchester United, and Newcastle, but the player has indicated that he wants a move to north London.
Discussions with his representatives are at an “advanced stage,” but there’s still a lot of work cut out for Spurs before they reach a full agreement with the German club, who have slapped a €50 million price tag on Tabsoba’s head. Meanwhile, Van de Ven is valued at around €40 million by Wolfsburg.
So, it is apparent that Van de Ven would be a cheaper option than Tapsoba, who is more of a ready-made option for Spurs this summer. It will be interesting to see whether Spurs will pay the Burkina Faso international’s asking price or turn to other cheaper alternatives.
Levy takes so long to strike a deal it wouldn’t surprise me if someone else stepped in and signed him under our noses, It wouldn’t be the first time something like that has happened.