Manchester United are joining the race for Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba as Harry Maguire nears an exit.
United have now agreed a deal in principle for defender Maguire to join West Ham imminently.
Maguire has been a top target for David Moyes of late and it looks like the Scot will land his man.
The England international lost the United captaincy this summer and was never going to have a big role under Erik ten Hag this season.
Maguire simply had to move on for first-team action but his expected departure leaves United needing another centre back.
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Manchester United want Edmond Tapsoba
The Manchester Evening News report that United are now looking to sign a centre back to replace Maguire.
It’s stated that Jonny Evans – brought back to United this summer on a short-term deal – isn’t considered a sufficient replacement for Maguire.
United could instead look towards the Bundesliga market with a move for Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba.
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It’s stated that United are keen admirers of Tapsoba and we may now see the Leverkusen star emerge as a key target.
It’s stated that Tapsoba is out of contract in 2024 but he actually signed a new deal until 2026 back in December 2020, meaning United may need to dig deep.
Who is United target Tapsoba?
Tapsoba hails from Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso, and started out with local clubs Salitas and US Ouagadougou.
Portuguese side Leixoes pounced in 2017, before Tapsoba moved on to Vitoria de Guimaraes in 2018.
After starting out in their B team, Tapsoba scored eight times in 32 first-team games to land himself a big move to Germany with Leverkusen.
Now with nearly 150 appearances for Leverkusen to his name, Tapsoba has become one of the Bundesliga’s top defenders.
A tall presence at 6ft 4in tall, Tapsoba has been a quality defender whilst also showing the ability to carry and pass out from the back.
Tapsoba – hailed as a ‘fantastic’ player by Leverkusen director Simon Rolfes – has been targeted by Tottenham Hotspur this summer, but they have now signed Micky van de Ven instead.
That may open the door for United to pounce, viewing Tapsoba as top competition for Raphael Varane in Ten Hag’s back four.