Newcastle United do not have time on their side when it comes to strengthening their roster this summer. So many quality players have left and need to be replaced. At the same time, there are positions which were already in need of reinforcements.
Centre-back is one such position. Dan Burn and Fabian Schar are both 34 years of age. Sooner or later, and most likely the first, Newcastle United will need to think about their successors.
On paper, someone like Sven Botman would be that guy. But he has dealt with injury problems in recent times and has looked like a shadow of the player he used to be when first signed by the Magpies.
So, it is natural if Newcastle United are keeping their eyes out for potential centre-back options. And it looks like they are one of the frontrunners for one such player.
Newcastle United, Man Utd and Tottenham race to sign centre-back
According to Fussball Daten (via TEAMtalk), Manchester United are ‘maintaining close contact’ with Edmond Tapsoba’s agents as the Old Trafford outfit weigh up a possible move for the Bayer Leverkusen centre-back.
They are not the only ones though. Premier League clubs are said to be ‘leading the race’ to sign Tapsoba. Man Utd, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are believed to be his main suitors.
Tapsoba has been a standout for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. He is thought to be a ‘modern centre-back’, who can play in a system where you build out from the back.
He was actually linked with a move to Chelsea earlier in the summer due to the Xabi Alonso factor. But that noise has died down. The Blues have ended up signing Maxence Lacroix and it is unlikely that they will sign another centre-back this summer.
Would Edmond Tapsoba be a good signing?
Someone like Tapsoba might be exactly the signing that Newcastle need to make at this point in time. He has experience at a high level. But at the same time, he is someone who has his prime ahead of him.
That makes sense for a club in Newcastle United’s situation. Tapsoba is someone who will come straight into the starting XI and stay there. Not a youngster who will need two or three years to develop, and might or might not be good enough.
There are no such question marks around Tapsoba. That being said, it is very possible that Newcastle United lose out in this transfer race.
All summer, we have seen them fall short when having to compete with other clubs. But if the Magpies are able to pull it off, it would have to be considered a blockbuster addition towards the end of what has been a disappointing window so far.