Spurs: Levy now in “conversations” over £25m “monster
With Spurs shipping 63 goals in the Premier League last season, would the addition of Edmond Tapsoba make all the difference next year?
Tottenham Hotspur have instigated “conversations” with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen over the services of the centre-half Edmond Tapsoba, claims transfer insider Dean Jones.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news – What’s the latest on Edmond Tapsoba?
It’s been a busy start to the transfer window for the Lilywhites, with the club confirming the signing of Italian international keeper Guglielmo Vicario from Serie A side Empoli earlier this week for a fee of £17m.
Not to be outdone by their free-spending neighbours, Tottenham went big themselves and announced the marque signing of England international James Maddison from the relegated Leicester City this week for a fee of £40m.
For as good as those signings are, the area of the team in desperate need of attention is defence.
With the side shipping a disastrous 63 goals in the Premier League last season and the departure of Clement Lenglet, who has returned to Barcelona, it’s an area of the team that could cost them next season if not addressed as soon as possible.
However, Daniel Levy and Co. seem to be well aware of this and have identified 24-year-old Burkina Faso international Tapsoba as one of a few potential targets for the heart of the defence, per football.london.
A deal to sign the Leverkusen star could also be cheaper than one might first expect, with the Express reporting that Ange Postecoglou could land his man for as little as £25m this summer.
There have been two other defensive names linked to Spurs this window, the first being Wolfsburg’s Micky van de Ven, and the other Fulham’s want-away Tosin Adarabioyo.
What has Dean Jones said about Tapsoba?
Jones revealed that whilst there have been links to van de Ven and Adarabioyo, Tapsoba was still the most likely of the three players to join the Lilywhites’ defence this summer.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “Tapsoba is the one I’ve heard the most about in terms of the three of those.”
The respected journalist also revealed that conversations between the sides have commenced, adding: “Conversations are open now, so it’ll be interesting to see how those progress and whether Tottenham become convinced that he is the player that they want to go ahead and sign.”
Would Tapsoba be a good signing for Tottenham Hotspur?
The 24-year-old has excelled during his time in Germany, playing 137 times for the Die Schwarzroten since joining just three years ago.
Last season was another great year for the 6 foot 4 “monster” – as once described by journalist Antonio Mango. According to WhoScored, across his 33 Bundesliga games, he averaged a good match rating of 6.64.
It was even better in European competitions, as in his eight games in the Europa League, he averaged a seriously impressive match rating of 7.28.
His underlying numbers are equally brilliant.
According to FBref, who comp[are players in a similar position across Europe’s top five leagues, Tapsoba sits in the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 6% for successful take-ons, the top 8% for progressive carries, the top 10% attempted passes, and the top 15% for shot-creating actions, all per 90.
Those numbers highlight that alongside his defensive nouse, the defensive gem could also thrive in a more attacking set-up, something that would pair perfectly with Ange Postecoglou’s footballing philosophy, one rooted in entertaining football.
If Spurs can get this deal over the line, it could prove excellent business for years to come.
