Fabrizio Romano shares transfer update on £35m Spurs target deemed ‘one of the best’ young forwards around
Tottenham are having a crazy summer. They are making good signings and have an exciting new manager. Despite this, there is a lot of worry as reports suggest that Bayern Munich are desperately trying to sign star player Harry Kane.
Romano shared the latest on the future of the forward. He said: “Understand Eintracht Frankfurt are now pushing again to sign Elye Wahi.
“Chelsea had bid rejected by Montpellier but remain in the race with plan to loan Wahi to Strasbourg. Eintracht, insisting with long term project around Wahi.”
Tottenham not leading the race for Wahi
It is no shock to see the Frenchman attract interest from a host of clubs. The £35m valued star is only 20 years-old but has already been scoring a lot of goals in top-flight football.
Wahi has managed 32 goals in 91 appearances. One goal every three games is a good tally, especially for a player as young as he is.
If Spurs are going to lose Harry Kane then they need to make sure they sign a couple of attacking reinforcements. Wahi would be a great option.
He is young, has top potential and is already quite prolific. He could no doubt grow into a very strong forward in the near future.
Pascal Gastien praised Wahi earlier this year, as per Jeunes Footeux: “I think he’s one of the best strikers in Ligue 1 at his age.”
The issue they have is that Eintracht Frankfurt are leading the race. If Spurs are serious about signing the attacker then they need to act sooner rather than later.
Even if Kane did not leave this summer, it would be great to bring Wahi to Spurs. He could be an ideal future replacement for the English striker who only has one year left on his contract.
Related development
Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in a longstanding target of theirs, despite advancing deals elsewhere…
Whilst the north London transfer sphere has been dominated by reports of Micky van de Ven’s imminent signing, it could be forgotten how desperate Ange Postecoglou was to sign Edmond Tapsoba for a period.
However, journalist Paul Brown continues to suggest that such interest has not ceased, but merely taken a back seat given the frustrating nature of the deal.
He told GIVEMESPORT:
“I still think Tottenham will buy a defender. Tapsoba is probably in the top three they’re looking at. I’m not sure if they’ve decided which of these guys they like the most yet, but I think Tapsoba is very high on their list.
“It’s not going to take a lot to get this deal done. So, once a decision is made about which ones to bring in first, I think you’ll see it happen. It wouldn’t surprise me if Tapsoba is the one.”
Given the €45m (£39m) they were reportedly set to offer earlier this week, they still seemingly remain firmly in the race for his services.
How good is Edmond Tapsoba?
Their longstanding interest in the 24-year-old stalwart is well-founded, given how imperious he has been since moving to Germany.
Just last term saw him excel in the Bundesliga yet again, as he continues to announce himself as one of the division’s finest central defenders.
In acquiring him, it could avenge chairman Daniel Levy’s past transfer failure from earlier in the window, as they reportedly battled with Aston Villa to sign Pau Torres from Villarreal.
The Spaniard had announced himself as one of Europe’s top ball-playing centre-backs in his homeland, with his performances for the Yellow Submarine exemplary.
In fact, when compared to others in his role across the continent, he ranked in the top 4% for progressive passes per 90, and the top 1% for progressive carries per 90, via FBref.
However, in the end, the pull of Unai Emery proved too much, and he chose Villa Park over north London. A hammer blow for Spurs, and a damning indictment of their recent failures.
Postecoglou likely received a hefty wake-up call from such a disaster, which he could avenge by signing Tapsoba.
After all, the Burkina Faso star does rank similarly against the same group as Torres, sitting in the top 5% for progressive passes per 90, the top 8% for progressive carries per 90, and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90, via FBref.
Not only this but last season in the Bundesliga, he maintained a 6.86 average rating, buoyed by 1.1 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and three clearances per game, via Sofascore.
Only two Spurs players recorded more clearances last term in the Premier League.
It was no surprise to see him lauded by journalist Antonio Mango, who outlined his key attributes before branding him a “monster,” adding:
“Comfortable on the ball. Big, strong. Quick. Position good with a very good footballing IQ.”
To instead sign the hulking titan over their previous transfer target would mark little drop in quality, and given these two sides will likely battle once again for similar spots, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.
However, at the very least Postecoglou will be safe in the knowledge that despite failing to secure his initial target, his alternative would be arguably just as good.
