Gianluigi Longari claims that Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen is a target for Arsenal.
THE DETAILS
Despite having Gabriel, Ben White, Pablo Mari, Rob Holding, the returning William Saliba, and Gabriel at their disposal, it appears like Arsenal still needs a center-back.
Lisandro Martinez of Ajax was their main aim, but he is reportedly now “on his way to Manchester United” (via Football Transfers).
Tapsoba, 23, joined the Werkself in January 2020 after leaving Portuguese team Vitoria Guimaraes for a fee of £18.2 million.
THE LATEST
On his Twitter page, Longari posted the breaking news on the Burkina Faso international.
Edmond Tapsoba, who plays for Bayer Leverkusen, is the target of an Arsenal move, he claimed.
He adds that Arteta and Edu have now made the deal a priority in the Football Transfers report.
He is reportedly worth between €40 million (£34 million) and €50 million (£42.5 million) to Leverkusen.
THE VERDICT
A center-back who appears to be at ease in possession is Tapsoba. He is in the 84th percentile for progressive carries, the 78th percentile for passes attempted, and the 88th percentile for passes completed (via FBRef).
The information also indicates that he reads the game well and defends aggressively (67th percentile for pressures, 81st for interceptions).
Stylistically, FBRef compares him to Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur and Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool.
According to European football expert Alex Barker, Tapsoba has a “scary” blend of composure and physicality. He faced the Gunners in the Europa League group stage while playing for Vitoria.
Perhaps his most impressive achievement was his inclusion in the Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament earlier this year.
Overall, he appears to be a solid plan-B after Arsenal missed out on Martinez.
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