Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in a summer move for Bayer Leverkusen defender, Edmond Tapsoba, albeit with chairman Daniel Levy set to face competition in the battle for the Burkina Faso international.
What’s the latest on Tapsoba to Tottenham?
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Lilywhites – as well as rivals, Arsenal – are said to be among the clubs who have been keeping a close eye on the 24-year-old of late.
Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider stated: “Premier League clubs are now tracking Edmond Tapsoba ahead of the summer transfer window — he’s one of the CBs to keep an eye on. Arsenal and Tottenham scouts have monitored Tapsoba in recent games but the race is absolutely open — Bayer will only sell for huge bid.”
While the coveted centre-back has a market value of around £26m – as per CIES Football Observatory – as Romano alluded to it could take a ‘huge bid’ for Spurs to be able to pull off a deal, with the player having reportedly been valued at around €70m (£60m) back in 2021, amid interest from the Gunners.
What’s Tapsoba’s style of play?
It will be of intrigue to Spurs supporters that the 6 foot 4 ace is said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities with current first-team asset, Cristian Romero, according to FBref, amid his displays in the Bundesliga.
That likeness is showcased by the two men’s defensive ability, with Tapsoba having recorded 50 tackles, 38 blocks and 36 interceptions in 32 league games this season, while the current Tottenham man has enjoyed a similar record, having racked up 68 tackles, 38 blocks and 44 interceptions from his 27 league appearances.
That comparison may be of some concern to those at N17, however, with Romero having endured an underwhelming campaign at the heart of the backline, forming part of a defence that has shipped 62 goals in the league this season – the sixth-worst record in the division.
The World Cup-winning warrior has been described as a “liability” by pundit Jamie O’Hara since making his return from Qatar back in December, while journalist Sam Dean dubbed the 25-year-old as like a “reckless teenager” amid his errant displays.
To think that the club may bring in Romero 2.0 in the form of Tapsoba would be of concern, although the Leverkusen man does possess his own quality, having been described as “complete” and “elegant” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, while ranking in at least the top 7% among his European peers for both progressive passes and progressive carries.
Even so, Spurs may be wary of bringing in a Romero-esque talent into the heart of the defence, such have been the £165k-per-week man’s recent woes.
