All posts by n8rngtd.top

Everton will be looking to make improvements to their attacking threat this summer and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target who could be on their way to Goodison Park this summer.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in Crysencio Summerville?

According to the Daily Mail, the Toffees are interested in signing Leeds United winger Crysencio Summerville.

As per the report, the talented forward is one of the many Leeds players that Everton are keen on bringing to Goodison Park this summer, with his west Yorkshire teammates Tyler Adams and Wilfried Gnonto also named as potential targets too.

It was claimed by Dutch news outlet 1908.NL last week that Summerville has a release clause in his contract, but Leeds could command as little as €12m (£10m).

Who will Crysencio Summerville replace?

There is no doubt that strengthening the forward line will be a top priority for Sean Dyche this summer, especially with Anthony Gordon and Richarlison departing over the last 12 months and now Demarai Gray is also being linked with a move away from Merseyside.

Earlier this month, Sky Sports reported that Fulham are interested in signing the Everton dynamo this summer as he has only one year left on his contract with an option to extend for another and it could be an opportunity for the club to make a huge profit on their £1.7m signing should an offer be tabled.

As a result, the signing of Summerville could spell the end of Gray's stint at Goodison Park and provide Dyche with a fresh attacking perspective to inject into his forward line alongside Dwight McNeil in the wider forward roles.

Over 33 appearances in all competitions, the 21-year-old – who was once hailed as a "runaway train" by journalist Beren Cross – scored five goals and registered six assists with a goal contribution every 166 minutes played, which would be a much-improved output compared to the current goal-scoring options at Everton.

Across all competitions, Gray only offered a goal contribution every 387 minutes, McNeil every 264 minutes and Neal Maupay every 631 minutes, so it is clear that Summerville would offer the Merseyside club a more consistent output in front of goal.

The Dutchman has been subjected to high praise over this short time at Elland Road with Leeds' U23 coach Andrew Taylor giving an analysis of Summerville's best assets:

"He works hard defensively and then his ability going forward is sensational. He just needs to keep doing that, keep performing.

"He’s such a danger, he’s such a threat, an outlet for us, but he doesn’t stop there – he gets back, he gets into position."

With that being said, if Everton can strike a deal for Summerville ahead of next season it would put them not only in a great position to improve the threat in front of goal but will put the club in a comfortable position to accept an offer for Gray should they be approached this summer.

Arsenal are among a large contingent of sides to have shown an interest in Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Oscar Gloukh, according to reports.

Who are Arsenal signing this summer?

The north Londoners have been making serious moves this summer, having finally agreed a deal to sign West Ham United star Declan Rice for £105 million (£100 million + £5m million in add-ons).

An agreement on price was actually reached last week, but much of the talks since then have centered around payment structure. However, it is now believed a compromise has been settled there, with Arsenal agreeing to pay the initial £100 million over a 24-month period.

Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, who dazzled in the Eredivisie last season, could also be closing in on a move to north London with reports suggesting talks are at a very advanced stage for the Dutchman and he's keen on the transfer.

If all goes to plan, the aforementioned duo will follow Germany international Kai Havertz through the door, with Arsenal recently confirming his £65 million move from Chelsea.

"Kai is a player of top quality," said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.

"He has great versatility and is an intelligent player. He will bring a huge amount of extra strength to our midfield and variety to our play.

“We welcome Kai and his family to Arsenal Football Club and we are all excited to start working with him when we start pre-season training soon.”

The Gunners could end up spending over £250m this window, according to some reports, but they have no intention of stopping after sealing their top target in Rice.

A new report by The Guardian and journalist Ed Aarons details a new target for Arsenal, as they join the race to sign highly-rated attacker Gloukh.

The Israel Under-21 international performances for club and country have alerted some of Europe's top sides, including Barcelona, and there is a large domestic following from the British Isles.

Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham are all targeting the 19-year-old, who is believed to prefer a move to either England or Spain.

Who is Oscar Gloukh?

Earning an array of caps for Israel at senior level also, Gloukh has been attracting more attention lately with some of his outings at this summer's U21 European Championship.

Former Israel international Gil Vermouth recently professed his admiration for the teenage star, calling him a "special" player with lots of potential.

"I would have told him not to leave Maccabi Tel Aviv," he said last year.

"If a club signs him and invests in him and takes him on as a project, then there is a chance of success. Gloukh is something special. He needs to examine his options, sit down with his parents and coaches, and decide."

Former Spurs defender Alan Hutton has also called Gloukh a "really talented" football player, with all the indications suggesting he could be one of Europe's most promising young teenage talents.

West Ham United's interest in Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha is "definitely real", according to journalist Dean Jones.

What is the latest news regarding Joao Palhinha?

The Hammers are reportedly interested in bringing the 27-year-old to the London Stadium as they look to replace their departing club captain Declan Rice, who is set to join Arsenal for a record £105m fee.

They aren't the only side with interest in the Portuguese defensive midfielder, with Football Insider reporting that Premier League sides Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Aston Villa have all explored the possibility of bringing the player to their respective club. However, a number of these sides have since "cooled their interest" and are focusing on other targets for the position.

Fulham are believed to be intent on keeping one of their stars this summer and have placed a £90m pricetag on the former Sporting man, according to reports, in an attempt to dissuade potential suitors.

The report states that the Cottagers have used the record fee received for Rice as a benchmark, with the club believing the pair perform at a similar level. This position of strength with negotiations is also helped by the fact that the Portugal international has four more years remaining on his contract.

Palhinha isn't the only option the Irons are considering, with Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria and Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez also making the shortlist. ExWHUEmployee told The West Ham Way podcast that the club are set to begin opening approaches for all three targets soon.

Speaking on The Football Terrace's Done Deal show, transfer insider Jones, who is a Fulham fan, revealed that the threat of West Ham swooping in for the midfielder is real, whilst the Hammers also have another name on their shortlist to potentially partner the 27-year-old:

"As a Fulham fan, I'd be happy if we just got the squad we had from last season going into the new one, because the threat around Palhinha is definitely real from West Ham. I just hope, and I think that he'll end up staying with us rather than going to West Ham.

"West Ham is obviously one that is going to get interesting in the next few days. They're going for Denis Zakaria, looking at a loan with a view to an option to sign him further down the line but they are also looking at Palhinha as a signing that would happen alongside him."

How good is Joao Palhinha?

Palhinha enjoyed a fantastic debut campaign with the Cottagers last season, winning the club's Player of the Season award as they finished in the top half of the Premier League for the first time in over a decade.

Referred to as "the master destroyer" by The Athletic's Peter Rutzler, the 27-year-old led the division across a key defensive category following his now bargain £20m move from Portugal.

The midfielder led the league in tackles made quite comfortably with 147. That was ahead of second-placed Moises Caicedo who could only manage 100 last campaign, showcasing why so sides maintain an interest in the midfielder.

WhoScored ranked Palhinha as the fifth-best player for his club last campaign, and the sixth-best defensive midfielder in the Premier League last season with an average rating of 6.93.

An intangible factor that will also make his side desperate to keep him is his availability, with the midfielder missing zero games through injury last season and making 40 appearances across all competitions for the London side.

A player who has received praise from managers in the past, including former coach Ruben Amorim who described him as a "special" talent, it's clear to see why David Moyes is so desperate to bring the Cottagers Player of the Year to the London Stadium

West Ham United have so far been unable to build on their Europa Conference League success, with their supporters growing more and more concerned ahead of the start of the new Premier League campaign.

The Irons are about to lose skipper Declan Rice to Arsenal and have yet to make any new signings, but a new possible target has now emerged for David Moyes' side.

What is the latest West Ham transfer news?

Rice's £105m exit should at long last be finalised in the coming days, which is expected to spark a frenzy of sorts in terms of incoming activity at the London Stadium.

Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria is widely expected to be first through the door, while Real Betis centre-back Luiz Felipe and Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse are two others that have been strongly linked.

According to FootballTransfers, West Ham have shown an interest in signing Alex Iwobi from Premier League rivals Everton, with the Toffees aware that they have to sell players before they can bring in new signings of their own.

What is Alex Iwobi's weekly salary?

Iwobi has just a year to run on his contract, which Capology reports is worth £120k-per-week, meaning he should be available for a fairly reasonable transfer fee this summer.

However, that is a large salary for a player who many will feel has yet to fulfil the potential he showed early on in his Arsenal career across four seasons at Goodison Park.

Iwobi impressed when moved into a central role last season, though, and led the way among Everton players in terms of Premier League assists with seven – more than double that of any of his team-mates.

Iwobi also chipped in with a couple of goals and was top of the charts for key passes per game (1.7), as per WhoScored, while he was bettered only by winger Dwight McNeil (1.5) in terms of dribbles per game with 1.4.

The Nigeria international certainly played his part in Everton's escape from relegation, and he may now be on his way back to London if West Ham's interest becomes anything more concrete.

That would mean Moyes raiding the club he spent more than a decade managing, but he has history when it comes to that, not least when taking Marouane Fellaini with him to Manchester United in 2013.

Fellaini's time at Old Trafford will forever be associated with a hugely underwhelming period for the club, but he was Moyes' man and he did exactly what was asked of him in midfield.

As Moyes said at the time, Fellaini "can play higher up, behind the striker or as a defensive or holding midfielder. In any position in the middle of the field, he's comfortable."

That sounds very familiar to Iwobi, who effectively played in as many as six different positions across midfield last season.

Whether on the right, left, through the middle, in an attacking position or defensive, he was able to fill in as and when.

It was while playing in central midfield against Liverpool last season that Iwobi earned huge praise from former Chelsea and France defender Frank Leboeuf for his "absolutely exceptional" performance.

Their paths may not have crossed on Merseyside, but it may well be that Moyes gets to manage his Fellaini 2.0 of sorts in east London next season.

Crystal Palace are reportedly eyeing a move for Everton winger Demarai Gray during the transfer window as Roy Hodgson looks to find a potential heir to Wilfried Zaha, as his future at the club is still uncertain following the expiration of his contract.

Could Crystal Palace sign Demarai Gray?

According to 90min, Everton are ready to listen to offers for Gray this summer as a plethora of Premier League clubs show interest in the player, with Palace being one.

They do face stiff competition from West Ham United and Brentford, who are also keeping tabs on Gray and his situation at the Toffees, while there is also interest from the Saudi Pro League.

The left-winger has just a year left on his current contract and this could allow Hodgson to secure him for a knockdown price, and he could slot in as an ideal Zaha replacement if the 30-year-old does indeed depart the Eagles in the coming weeks.

Will Wilfried Zaha stay at Crystal Palace?

The Sun has claimed that Palace has offered Zaha a £200k-per-week four-year deal in order to convince him to stay at the club amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Serie A winners Napoli.

After nearly 500 appearances and 90 goals across his two spells at Palace, there is no doubt the Ivorian will be missed if he does depart, however, could Gray be an ideal heir to the winger?

Having won a Premier League winners medal during the 2015/16 campaign, joining Leicester City from Birmingham City midway through the season, he has failed to add any further silverware.

He joined Everton in the summer of 2021 and enjoyed a relatively productive season despite the club coming close to relegation, registering 11 goal contributions – six goals and five assists – while his tally dipped slightly last term to seven goal contributions, suggesting he doesn’t quite offer the same clinical threat as Zaha.

Like Zaha, he is right-footed and tends to play on the left wing in order to cut inside on a regular basis.

According to WhoScored, both Zaha and Gray also like to dribble during matches, indicating that the pair love to take on defenders and this is evidenced by the duo succeeding with one and two dribbles per game respectively during the league in 2022/23.

Although the Ivory Coast international registered more shots per 90 (2.52 to 2.05), generated more shot-creating actions per 90 (3.58 to 3.37), took more touches in the attacking penalty area (143 to 104) and scored more goals (seven to four), there isn’t much between the players and Gray could certainly be a viable alternative for Hodgson this summer.

The 27-year-old winger actually delivered more crosses (173 to 39) and completed more progressive carries than Zaha last term (94 to 86) and this suggests that Gray could potentially star for the club should he join this summer, despite not having the same scoring touch as Zaha.

The £42k-per-week dynamo – who was once lauded “inspirational” by former Everton defender Martin Keown – may not be the big name that many of the Palace supporters want, yet he could well surpass expectations and become a useful addition to the squad as Hodgson is likely to embark on a new era post-Zaha.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in Barcelona midfielder Nico Gonzalez, as the Old Gold continue their pursuit of midfield reinforcements this summer.

Julen Lopetgui bid farewell to both Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho this transfer window, and will now aim to bolster the middle of the park at Molineux, something he could achieve in signing the Barcelona starlet.

What’s the latest on Nico Gonzalez to Wolves?

As reported by outlets in Spain last week (as relayed by Sport Witness), Wolves are believed to have been offered the chance to sign Gonzalez from the Catalan giants this summer.

A separate report via Sport Witness has also claimed that the Spaniard will more than likely leave his boyhood club after talks with Xavi Hernandez concluded with the belief that an exit is the best solution for the 21-year-old gem.

Valued around the £12m mark by FootballTransfers, Lopetegui could land a bargain this window if a deal can be struck between the club and player, whose agent is, of course, Jorge Mendes.

How good is Nico Gonzalez?

Having once been tipped to become the “heir to Sergio Busquets” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the 6 foot 2 enforcer could be the ideal acquisition for Lopetegui to integrate into his transitioning side.

Just like Busquets, the 21-year-old prospect has displayed a versatile approach to his game in the engine room, identified as a “press resistant” player capable of being able to “dictate tempo” by scout Jacek Kulig in his scouting report of the talent.

Life at the Nou Camp looked to be on the right path in the 2021/22 campaign in which he made a breakthrough, making 27 LaLiga appearances after rising through the ranks from the infamous La Masia set-up.

Last term, the young midfielder was sent on loan to Valencia, where he continued to shine despite Los Che’s poor form in the league.

For Wolves, however, the potential availability of Gonzalez could be fundamental to Lopetegui nurturing his midfield with youth, with the Spaniard posing to be a perfect addition alongside Joao Gomes.

The Brazilian was signed from Flamengo in January, and made an impressive introduction to the Premier League, averaging a mammoth 4.00 tackles per 90 in Wolves’ midfield.

Signing the Spaniard could create the ideal balance in a middle-of-the-park pivot alongside Gomes, taking into consideration his passing ability fused with the 22-year-old’s combative excellence.

Also lauded as a “prodigy” by Mango, Gonzalez averaged an impressive 5.89 passes into the final third per 90 in LaLiga last term, as well as making an average of 1.79 successful take-ons per 90, via FBref, highlighting his strengths as ball-carrying menace.

The La Masia academy graduate could bolster the midfield alongside the Brazilian defensively also, winning 1.73 aerial duels per 90 in comparison to Gomes’ 0.96 per 90 for Wolves, defining the perfect combination of duel-winning and ball-playing expertise.

Wolves will naturally miss the comforts of Moutinho and Neves, however, Lopetegui could rejuvenate the once-loved Portuguese duo by combining 22-year-old Gomes with 21-year-old Gonzalez.

The Barcelona gem covered areas all over the pitch for Valencia last season in the Spanish top-flight, as highlighted by Sofascore, showing his desire to dictate play while remaining as a reliable outlet in midfield, in a role similar to that of Neves at Molineux.

Lopetegui could unearth a partnership worthy of taking the throne from the Portuguese pair, in a move that could be fundamental in the progression of both player and club.

Tottenham Hotspur could be offered Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard in a part-exchange deal for star striker Harry Kane, according to reports.

Will Harry Kane leave Tottenham?

Only 12 months remain on Kane's current Spurs contract, and despite the club's efforts to tie him down with a mammoth new deal offer, there is still no sign of him extending any time soon.

Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy is now faced with one of the biggest decisions of his Spurs tenure to date – whether to sell Kane this window or keep him till his contract expires – if he doesn't pen fresh terms.

There are no shortage of sides interested in snapping up their star talisman, with Bayern Munich, Paris-Saint Germain and Man United among the lead contenders as things stand.

The saga is an unwelcome distraction for new Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou, who recently admitted to the media that he is far from relaxed over Kane's situation.

"Fair to say I am not relaxed about it," said Postecoglou recently.

“It’s not something you go: ‘Ah, well, you know if it does or doesn’t happen!’ I mean it’s a very important part of this football club, not just the team, but the football club.

“So, you’ve got to deal with it, and I think, for everyone concerned, we don’t want to be doing it for too long. I don’t think that is good for anyone. I don’t think it is good for Harry, I don’t think it is good for the club."

Kane's contract will likely be a major talking point till the end of this window, with reports delivering new information on a regular basis.

As per 90min, there has been another development, with Bayern hatching a potential plan to steal away Kane from Spurs' clutches.

According to their information, the possibility of a part-exchange deal has been floated at the Allianz Arena, as Thomas Tuchel's side consider offering a player to sweeten the transfer.

It is believed France international Pavard, who won the World Cup with Les Bleus in 2018, "may be on the table" in this regard as Bayern prepare a club-record £86 million bid for Kane.

However, as of now, there is little to suggest Spurs will warm to this idea as they continue negotiations for defensive duo Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven.

How good is Benjamin Pavard?

The versatile 27-year-old can operate at right-back, across central defence and even in midfield – making him quite an enticing option for Postecoglou.

Pavard also ranked in Bayern's top two for tackles made, successful clearances and interceptions per 90 last season, all the while scoring four goals and managing an assist further forward (WhoScored).

The former Stuttgart star is a player of real quality on his day, with Tuchel recently hailing his "underrated" star to German media.

“He is an underrated player“, Tuchel said in a post-match press conference.

“He can adapt to the highest level and he defends rigorously. He is a top team player, he immediately had my confidence and proved to me that I had been right.”

Chelsea will be hoping their 12th place Premier League finish last term was a one off as Mauricio Pochettino prepares to lead them into the new campaign.

It has been a busy transfer window so far, with 13 players departing and six new arrivals. The squad has been significantly trimmed, not only to free up the wage budget and provide more funds, but to also comply with the financial fair play regulations.

The Argentinian isn’t stopping there however, and a move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic could be next.

How much will Dusan Vlahovic cost Chelsea?

When the Stamford Bridge outfit first showed interest in the 23-year-old talisman at the beginning of July, the Serie A side valued him at £70m, which was around the fee they had paid to sign him from Fiorentina in 2022.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

Pochettino may be able to drive this fee down by offering Romelu Lukaku as a part of a potential swap deal according to Fabrizio Romano.

He discussed the potential deal for Vlahovic on his YouTube channel, saying:

"For Dusan Vlahovic, Mauricio Pochettino – Chelsea manager – is thinking about that.

"He will take some days, it will be the weekend probably, to discuss internally, of course, with the board, but basically, for Chelsea, the decision is to wait for something else for Romelu Lukaku or to go next week into negotiations with Juventus and reach an agreement for the swap deal: Lukaku, Vlahovic.

"So it has to be a strategy, but it is also important to understand what Pochettino wants to do with Dusan Vlahovic because more than one month ago, Chelsea said no to the swap deal between Lukaku and Vlahovic. Now Juventus are offering that again, they want €40m (£34m) as part of the deal.”

Will Dusan Vlahovic improve Chelsea?

Considering the Blues scored just 38 Premier League goals last season, luring a player with the quality that Vlahovic possesses could only improve this tally during 2023/24.

The Serbian international didn’t enjoy the most productive of campaigns for Juventus during 2022/23, scoring 14 times across all competitions, which was a drop from his tally of 29 goals the season before.

The Blues have signed Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig, and he could certainly get the former Fiorentina hitman firing again, forging a dream duo with him in the process.

The Frenchman ranked in the top 6% for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.28) across Europe’s big five leagues over the previous 365 days, while also ranking in the top 7% for progressive passes (3.44) and top 8% for successful take-ons (1.68) per 90, indicating just how effective he is at working the ball forward and creating chances for others.

This could only benefit Vlahovic, who averaged 2.5 shots per game for Juventus last term, ranking him first across the whole squad, while he also topped the pile for goals scored and should he be on the receiving end of the excellent service from Nkunku, his goal tally will surely increase.

Former defender Micah Richards lauded the striker back in 2021, saying the Old Lady goal machine was “lightning” while also claiming that the forward had a “wand” of a left foot, and he could be an excellent addition to the Chelsea squad.

Nkunku impressed during pre-season, scoring three goals in four matches and if Pochettino combines his creative talents alongside the attacking qualities of Vlahovic, he could create a scary duo which will terrorise Premier League defenders.

The recent injury to Leeds United captain Liam Cooper could put his potential move to the Saudi Pro League "in doubt" as there is a chance it could be "fairly long term", per The Athletic's Phil Hay.

Is Liam Cooper leaving Leeds United this summer?

It has been a fairly bleak few months for Leeds fans recently, with it feeling like one piece of bad news is always followed by another.

First, it was their relegation from the Premier League, which was confirmed on a miserable final day of the season that saw them handily beaten by Tottenham Hotspur.

Following that, there was an exodus of first-team players – some of whom had joined just six months earlier – that left to find top-flight football elsewhere, and now the news that club captain Cooper is injured and of interest to the free-spending Saudi league.

Read the latest Leeds United transfer news HERE…

According to TalkSport, the Scotsman is the subject of interest from Al Qadsiah, a Saudi side managed by Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler, and given the recent slew of players opting to join the Middle Eastern league, there is every chance Cooper follows suit.

That said, the injury to his ankle that he suffered after scoring against Cardiff City on the weekend might just cost him his big-money move, with The Athletic's Phil Hay suggesting that it could cast "doubt" on the transfer.

He explained the situation on The Square Ball YouTube channel, saying:

"That looks to the naked eye like it's going to be an absence of some sort. You don't imagine him, you know, looking at the way he was trying to walk behind the goal line and struggling; you know you don't see him being at Birmingham on Saturday.

"And I feel for him as well because he does have this offer from Saudi Arabia, and I think in his situation with 12 months to go, 31 now, you know a lot of football behind him, it's very different, I feel, to Max Wober's situation.

"Wober seemed to be saying 'I want to be elsewhere you know I just want to go and play for another club. I want to go to the Bundesliga.' I think this is more of a kind of life decision for Cooper, but what the effect will be of this injury? It might well have been that he was minded to stay anyway, but if it is fairly long term or if it isn't great, then you would imagine that that would put that move in doubt."

How much does Liam Cooper earn?

With the lavish riches of the Saudi Pro League a distinct possibility in Cooper's future, how much is he currently earning for the Peacocks in the Championship this season?

According to Capology, the 31-year-old earns £25,000-a-week in south Yorkshire, which makes him just the 15th best-paid player in the squad, marginally behind keep Illan Meslier, who is currently on £30,000-a-week.

The best-paid player in the entire squad is former Manchester City player Jack Harrison, who earns £90,000-a-week after signing his new deal in April of this year and earns £20,000-a-week more than Patrick Bamford in second place.

While the wage he would earn in the Middle East remains a mystery, it would surely be a massive increase on what he is making in England, and with the added benefit of paying no tax, it might just be an offer too good to refuse for the Scotsman, should his injury not scupper it.

Manchester United are reportedly showing an interest in signing a new defensive target, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Are Man United signing a defender?

The Red Devils and Erik ten Hag have been active so far this summer, with Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund all completing big-money moves from Chelsea, Inter Milan and Atalanta.

However, there still looks like there could be room for further additions before the deadline, especially if a number of players leave the club. One of those appears to be centre-back Harry Maguire, who is on course to complete a move to West Ham United.

Read The Latest Man United Transfer News HERE…

An agreement in principle worth around £30m has been reached for the defender’s services, and should Maguire depart, Ten Hag would be left with Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly as his senior options, with the latter of the four another who could be on the move before the end of the month.

Therefore, it looks as if United may well be in the market for a new centre-back to arrive, and Bayern Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba appears to be a new target.

Romano took to X to share a Man United transfer update on Wednesday, naming three defenders that are options for the Red Devils. Two of the three, Jean Clair Todibo and Benjamin Pavard, have been linked with a move to Old Trafford before, however, the transfer expert said that Tapsoba is also an option to replace Maguire.

“Manchester United have three options in the list for new centre back. Benjamin Pavard, Jean Clair Todibo and Edmond Tapsoba are being considered as possible names to replace Maguire. Talks already took place with Todibo as revealed here; Pavard, keen on the move.”

Who is Edmond Tapsoba?

Tapsoba, a Burkina Faso international, is an out-and-out centre-back who has been with his current employers since 2020. The 24-year-old made the move to Europe back in 2017 with Portuguese side Leixoes and then joined Vitoria de Guimaraes six months later.

The defender went on to make 32 senior appearances for Vitoria de Guimaraes and signed for Bayern Leverkusen in a deal worth over €20m. Since then, Tapsoba has featured on 137 occasions for Leverkusen and is under contract until 2026.

As per FBref, Tapsoba has impressed over the past 12 months and ranks in the top 1% of centre-backs for through balls, top 5% for progressive passes and top 12% for passes completed, showing his ability on the ball.

Leverkusen’s managing director, Simon Rolfes has also praised his ability on the front foot, describing the player as “dangerous in front of goal”.

"Edmond Tapsoba was a regular first choice at Guimaraes at the age of 20 and in addition to his defensive ability, he’s also dangerous in front of goal."

The player defensively has also been solid, ranking in the 85th percentile for tackles in the final third and 82nd percentile for shots blocked. Therefore, it looks as if a move could be one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks, however, Tapsoba isn’t the only centre-back on United’s radar.