Manchester United have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Edmond Tapsoba along with fellow Premier League sides Newcastle United and Liverpool.
The Red Devils are said to be looking for additions to bolster their defensive ranks ahead of fighting on four fronts next term, including a return to the Champions League for the Old Trafford club.
Tapsoba joined Leverkusen from Portuguese outfit Vitoria de Guimaraes in January 2020, and has since made 137 appearances for the Bundesliga side, helping them to a sixth-placed finish this season, therefore securing Europa League football.
The 24-year-old was close to success on the continental stage with Xabi Alonso's side, however a semi-final defeat to Roma in the Europa League prevented Leverkusen from competing in their first European final since the 2001-02 term.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Tapsoba could be hearing the Champions League anthem after all next season, with Manchester United reportedly being offered the centre-back.
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With speculation about the future of club captain Harry Maguire, Erik ten Hag is said to be targeting reinforcements in defensive areas, with the England international understood to be a potential departure as he searches for regular game time.
The report adds that Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool and Eddie Howe's Newcastle have also been handed the chance to sign Tapsoba in this transfer window, although the Merseyside club are said to be at a disadvantage given that they can only offer the player Europa League football.
It is understood that Tottenham Hotspur are currently in talks with the Burkina Faso international over a potential move to North London, and Ange Postecoglou's men are believed to be concerned by the involvement of other Premier League clubs in the race for his signature.
Spurs finished eighth in the Premier League after a difficult second half of the season which saw Antonio Conte depart the managerial hotseat in dramatic fashion, leaving the Lilywhites outside the top seven by a single point after 38 matches.
Tapsoba's representatives are said to be keen to drum up interest in their client, with St James' Park touted as a possible destination for the defender as the Magpies venture into European football for the first time in two decades.
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In preparation for their return to UEFA's elite club competition, a Saudi-backed Newcastle are aiming to spend big in this window, and are understood to have submitted a bid for AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali as they look to lure the Italian away from San Siro.
A centre-back partnership of Sven Botman and Fabian Schar worked well for Howe's men last term - only champions Manchester City could equal their defensive record of only allowing 33 goals in 38 Premier League contests.
However, the North-East club have identified the need to further boost their team ahead of a minimum of six matches in the Champions League next term, with Tapsoba a candidate to help fill out a relatively small Magpies squad.
Carter White
