“I’m told…” – Fabrizio Romano reveals “dangerous” star to Spurs is “absolutely on”
Tottenham are eager to add more depth and quality to their squad next season despite a number of signings already.
HIGHLIGHTS
Tottenham Hotspur are “still working” on a deal for Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Edmond Tapsoba despite a lack of media updates in recent weeks, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Is Tapsoba joining Tottenham?
In what now feels like an eternity go, one of the first big rumours of this summer was Tottenham’s interest in Bundesliga defender Tapsoba.
The 24-year-old played a big role in Xabi Alonso’s transformation of Leverkusen last season and has blossomed into one of the German top tier’s best centre-backs.
Due to Tottenham’s defensive woes last season – the Lilywhites conceded 63 goals in 38 matches in the Premier League – new boss Ange Postecoglou is keen on reinforcing his defensive unit, and has singled out Tapsoba as someone capable of reinvigorating the Spurs backline.
Tapsoba, who was hailed as “dangerous”, could set Spurs back £42.5m, something which has been perceived as one of the reasons why the deal has struggled to advance quickly.
However, despite a lack of recent updates in the media, transfer expert Romano insists that a deal is still “absolutely on” and that the Lilywhites are “still working” on making the transfer happen this window.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Romano said: ““It’s gone a bit quiet on the media side, but I’m told that yes the deal is absolutely on. It’s a difficult deal and it has always been a difficult deal, because Bayer Leverkusen are a difficult club to negotiate with and we saw that with many other deals in the past.
“This is still the case because they want big money for their stars and it’s not easy at all, but Tottenham are still working.”
While a deal with Leverkusen looks like it may be a complicated one to finalise, there is still just over a month of the transfer window remaining, meaning there is plenty of time for the clubs to come to an agreement.
Spurs may be keen on knowing the future of Harry Kane amid Bayern Munich links before they go into the market again, as they would need to spend big to replace their star forward.
Regardless of the Kane saga, Postecoglou definitely needs a new centre-back this summer and it will be music to the ears of Spurs supporters that a deal is still being worked on behind the scenes.
Who are Tottenham signing?
Spurs have been one of the busiest sides in the transfer window so far when it comes to new signings, having technically brought in five players.
Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski had their loans made permanent, while James Maddison, Guglielmo Vicario and Manor Solomon have all arrived at the club as well.
But Spurs are not done yet and Tapsoba is not the only Bundesliga centre-back linked with north London. Wolfsburg’s Micky van de Ven is another name on the Tottenham shortlist, although, similarly to the Tapsoba deal, media coverage has gone quiet in recent weeks.
If Kane is to depart then Spurs will need a new number nine and Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic could be that man. The attacker might leave Turin this summer following a disappointing spell with the Old Lady, but the 23-year-old could revive his career under Postecoglou.
Young Montpellier forward Elye Wahi and Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson have also been touted with potential moves to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in recent days.