Bayer Leverkusen defender reportedly targeting Premier League move
| Edmond Tapsoba (right). | Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images |
After six and a half years at Bayer Leverkusen, a move away from BayArena could be on the cards for Edmond Tapsoba this summer.
According to Sky Germany, the Burkina Faso international is keen to take the next step in his career and dreams of a move to the Premier League.
The report adds that Tapsoba attracted interest from several clubs last summer, but a transfer failed to materialise due to Leverkusen’s high asking price.
The 27-year-old centre-back has a €100 million release clause in his contract, and although a slightly lower fee may be enough to secure a deal, Die Werkself would still require a substantial sum to let the defender go at the end of the season.
“My friends used to call me Mertesacker”
Tapsoba previously hinted a particular affinity for the Premier League in an interview with Bulinews.com, revealing that he was once nicknamed after former Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker and admired Manchester City’s John Stones as a young player.
"My friends used to call me Mertesacker. When I started playing at the academy, I started to like John Stones," Tapsoba exclusively told Bulinews.com in 2023.
When asked about the reported interest in him at the time, he said:
"That makes me happy, of course. It’s something that shows I’m doing a good job and that I just need to continue. But Leverkusen is a big club, my head and heart are fully here right now, and then we'll see what the next step will be."
Tapsoba remains under contract with Leverkusen until the summer of 2028.
