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Raphael Honigstein: - Liverpool being linked with Leverkusen Centre-Back Edmond Tapsoba @honigstein

Edmond Tapsoba: Who is the new Bayer Leverkusen centre-back that stopped Erling Haaland?


The rise of Edmond Tapsoba may have been a sudden one, but the Burkina Faso international with more than a whiff of Jerome Boateng about him has already helped new employers Bayer Leverkusen do what no other team has: stop Erling Haaland.

bundesliga.com shines a spotlight on the new arrival at the BayArena that has made an instant impression at one of the league’s most in-form sides.

Edmond Tapsoba

Age: 21
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Position: Centre-back
Country: Burkina Faso (8 caps)

Key stats

Born his country’s fantastically named capital Ouagadougou on 2 February 1999, Tapsoba joined his first club Salitas as a 15-year-old back in 2014. He would spend one year with the team before moving to fellow hometown outfit US Ouagadougou but wouldn’t make a first team appearance for either capital club before heading for Portugal as an 18-year-old. By then, Tapsoba was already a full international having made his Burkina Faso debut at just 17 years, six months and 22 days old in a friendly against Uzbekistan on 24 August 2016.

He initially signed for Leixoes in Portugal’s second tier but would only be at the Estadio de Mar for a season before top-flight Vitoria Guimaraes came calling in 2018. Tapsoba featured 30 times for the club’s second string before being promoted to the first team at the start of 2019/20. From there, Tapsoba’s rise has been a sudden one, going on to make 32 appearances for Vitoria before Leverkusen snapped up the 6’3” 21-year-old in January. The young defender gained a reputation as a penalty expert, netting nine of his 16 goals from the spot for the reserves and first team prior to his move to the Bundesliga.

Peter Bosz showed no hesitation in throwing Tapsoba straight into the deep end and he won’t be forgetting his first Bundesliga appearance any time soon. In fact, the new Leverkusen man will be wondering what kind of wonderful footballing madness he has signed up to. His first taste of German football came in the thriller of a come-from-behind 4-3 win over Borussia Dortmund, quickly followed by an equally dramatic 3-2 victory against Union Berlin to make it two from two for Tapsoba.

He cut a composed figure throughout both, and clearly isn’t one to shy away from the heat of battle having had more touches (106) than any other player against Berlin and completed more passes than anyone else (74 and 78) against both BVB and Union. His sample size may be small, but only 10 players can better Tapsoba’s 91 per cent pass completion rate in the Bundesliga this season.

Plays a bit like: Jerome Boateng

Tapsoba has a remarkably similar build to Bayern Munich centre-back Boateng and the similarities don’t stop there. Incredibly quick - allowing for exceptional recoveries - composed on the ball, ridiculously strong and with a penchant for raking diagonals: it all adds up. If Tapsoba can have even half the career of the eight-time Bundesliga champion, UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup winner, then Leverkusen have quite the player on their hands.

Tapsoba’s role in the victory over Dortmund was notable for helping end Leverkusen’s six-game winless run against BVB and securing Die Werkself’s first win over the Black and Yellows since 10 October 2016. More impressively on a personal note, though, is how Tapsoba managed to keep baby-faced assassin Erling Haaland at bay. Despite his side conceding three goals, Tapsoba pocketed the Norwegian in a superb man-marking display that stopped Haaland from scoring for the first time as a Dortmund player.

What they’re saying

"His really big potential makes Edmond Tapsoba a very interesting proposition as a player. We are happy we've been able to complete this transfer." - Leverkusen managing director Rudi Völler.

"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.” - Bayer sporting director Simon Rolfes.

“Edmond did very well against Dortmund, and if you saw him against Union then you could hardly believe he’s only been with us for a few weeks.” - Leverkusen coach Peter Bosz.

https://www.bundesliga.com/en/bundesliga...g-haaland-10047

Sounds like the sort of player FSG would buy, rather than £80 million for Koulibaly with little sell on, if Lovren leaves I think we will bring in a CB, as Matip is too injury prone.

Koulibaly for even 50m at 30 years old is impossible, would be happy if we signed somebody good and promising (like Robertson) and Willian in this window, I think still has a lot to offer

Whilst Willian would be a good addition his £7m plus wages a year for 3 years is a lot of money when we have Harry Wilson coming back.

Wilson doesn't look anywhere near good enough.

You are comparing Harry Wilson with Willian? But yes, the wages would be a reason for FSG.

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Wilson is triple the player that Curtis Jones is.

Played amazingly well for Derby in the championship and look at the Chelsea loan players in that team performed last year.

Can’t see the fog for the sheep...blind patriotism on show!

I think Curtis is a better player than Minamino.