Arsenal have Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba in their sights, according to Gianluigi Longari.Â
The lowdown
Arsenal may have Gabriel, Ben White, the returning William Saliba, Rob Holding and Pablo Mari at their disposal, but it seems they want another centre-back.
Their primary target was Ajax’s Lisandro Martinez, but he’s now said to be ‘on his way to Manchester United’ (via Football Transfers).
Tapsoba, 23, has been with the Werkself since January 2020, when he made an £18.2million move from Portuguese outfit Vitoria Guimaraes.
The latest
Longari shared the news concerning the Burkina Faso international on his Twitter page.
Tapsoba at Arsenal?
Yes!
Not for me
‘Arsenal are preparing a move for Bayer Leverkusen star Edmond Tapsoba,’ he wrote.
In the attached story for Football Transfers, he reveals that Arteta and Edu have now identified the deal as a priority.
Leverkusen are said to value him between €40million (£34million) and €50million (£42.5million).
The verdict
Tapsoba is a centre-back who would appear to be very comfortable in possession. He ranks in the 88th percentile for passes attempted and the 78th for pass completion, while he’s also in the 84th for progressive carries (via FBRef).
The data would also suggest he’s someone who defends on the front foot and who reads the game effectively (67th percentile for pressures, 81st for interceptions).
Stylistically, FBRef compare him to Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate and Tottenham Hotpsur’s Cristian Romero.
Tapsoba, who played against the Gunners in the Europa League group stage during his time at Vitoria, boasts a ‘scary‘ combination of composure and physicality, in the words of European football expert Alex Barker.
He also featured in the Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament earlier this year, perhaps his most impressive achievement.
Overall, he looks like a strong plan-B after Arsenal missed out on Martinez.
About the Author
