“One to watch, definitely” – Fabrizio Romano shares transfer news out of Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur and Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba is “definitely” one to watch this summer and he looks like their top defensive target, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Who will Tottenham sign?

Spurs and new manager Ange Postecoglou are thought to be targeting multiple senior centre-backs ahead of the 2023/2024 Premier League season.

The new campaign, and Postecoglou’s debut one at that, kicks off in around a fortnight but the north Londoners are still yet to confirm the arguably crucial addition of a capable new defender.

Spurs held one of the worst defensive records of any elite side in the top flight last season, conceding a pretty woeful 63 league goals, with no side above 15th in the table leaking more.

It is a glaring issue that Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy must address quickly, especially if they are to mix it with some of the division’s top sides.

The Lilywhites head coach, speaking to media recently, has also admitted that his side are actively looking at signing a new defender or two this summer.

“That’s definitely our intention, absolutely,” said Postecoglou.

“We’ve been working on it for a while and we’ll definitely try to get it done as quickly as possible.

“I don’t think it’s any secret about some of the areas we needed to strengthen. Some of it I identified early on. The goalkeeper was one and central defence is another.

“In terms of the other boys, we’ve got a big squad but my view is I wanted to bring them along and just work with them, get some clarity in my head and give clarity to them.”

Tapsoba, who has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham in recent weeks, is believed to be one of the centre-back candidates – joined by Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo, Barcelona’s Clement Lenglet, Juventus star Gleison Bremer and Wolfsburg’s Micky van de Ven – who have all been mentioned at points by the media.

Renowned transfer journalist Romano, speaking to CaughtOffside this week, shared an update on Tottenham’s pursuit of Tapsoba in particular.

He says that it is “definitely” one to watch and the Burkina Faso international could well be Spurs’ top transfer target in the centre-back position.

“Tottenham are still working on this one, he remains a top target for Spurs in defence,” said Romano.

“Still, it’s not an easy deal to get done because Bayer Leverkusen are asking for a big fee but Spurs are still trying to find a way.

“As previously mentioned, Tottenham have also had an interest in Wolfsburg centre-back Micky van de Ven, as they have a strategy of negotiating with a few different players before attacking the target they really want. It seems that Tapsoba is that player but the issue is he’s more expensive than Van de Ven.

“Also with Tapsoba, let’s see if other clubs could join the race for him too – it’ll be one to watch, definitely.”

How good is Edmond Tapsoba?

The 24-year-old played more Bundesliga minutes than any other Leverkusen outfielder last campaign, highlighting his real importance for manager Xabi Alonso.

Tapsoba ranked just behind teammate Jonathan Tah for clearances made per 90 also, making him an enticing option for Spurs and Postecoglou (WhoScored).

Indeed, the Bundesliga website even likened him to former Bayern Munich star Jerome Boateng for his composure in possession and pint-point long range passing