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Tottenham Hotspur will make an offer for Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba and he wants the move, according to reports out of Germany.

Who will Spurs sign?

New Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy have been hard at work behind-the-scenes, as they attempt to prepare for next season.

The Lilywhites' start to this summer transfer window has been a solid one with Spurs supporters seeing goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, playmaker James Maddison and winger Manor Solomon join the club over these last few weeks.

Dejan Kulusevski, after 18 months on loan from Juventus, has also joined former Sporting Lisbon defender Pedro Porro in making his move to north London permanent.

Spurs have now shored up a variety of positions in their squad, both defensively and further forward, but it is believed they're attempting to add two new centre-backs to their roster as well.

Tottenham conceded a woeful 63 league goals last season, more than any other English side above 15th last season, and those numbers highlight a glaring weakness that Postecoglou must resolve.

They're apparently moving to fix this achilles heel, with advanced talks held for Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven as a deal closes in (Fabrizio Romano).

However, the Netherlands international is just one defender Tottenham have their eyes on, with Galatasary star Victor Nelsson, Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo, Barcelona's Clement Lenglet and Tapsoba all being targeted too.

The latter defender has been repeatedly linked with a move to N17 recently, alongside van de Ven, with a report from Europe sharing an update on their pursuit.

According to the paper edition of German news outlet Sport Bild, as shared by Sport Witness, Spurs will make an offer for Tapsoba – amounting to around £34 million.

Leverkusen, who are keen to keep their star defender, hope that bid won't come but Tottenham are apparently ready to make that bid.

Tapsoba is said to be eager on making the move to England, and while Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes doesn't want to let the African go, he may well be forced to do so given the amount of money Tottenham could put forward.

How good is Edmond Tapsoba?

The Burkina Faso international isn't just impressive at club level, with members of the media even calling him "fundamental" for his country in recent seasons.

"Edmond Tapsoba is the de facto organiser for Burkina Faso," said journalist Bruno Alemany last year.

"He is the one who imposes the rhythm of his team and the one who puts it to play in the rival field. Personality and displacement top. Fundamental."

Meanwhile, the Bundesliga's official website have even likened Tapsoba to former Bayern Munich star Jerome Boateng for his composure and acute passing.

The site wrote:

"The legendary Bayern Munich defender, who made 364 appearances across 11 seasons for the Bavarian giants, was as cool and calm as it gets both on the ball and in the tackle while he was also famed for his pinpoint long passing that set up many an attack for the record champions. Tapsoba has similar traits and such is his eagerness to start forward thrusts, he has often been referred to as a defensive playmaker."

There is now a "serious possibility" that Chelsea could sign Flamengo's exciting young midfielder Matheus Franca this summer, transfers expert Fabrizio Romano has told GIVEMESPORT.

Chelsea transfer news – what's the latest on Matheus Franca?

It's been another busy summer of frantic transfer business in West London, but more due to outgoings than incomings for once, with the club selling a raft of first-team players to the burgeoning Saudi league, European leagues and even rivals in the Premier League.

The shipping off of so many players has now allowed the club to start looking towards incomings, with the young striker Nicolas Jackson already coming through the doors at Stamford Bridge from La Liga outfit Villarreal.

The club are also making a conscious effort to sign young, exciting players that are full of potential, with one of those targets being Flamengo's much sought-after Franca.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed on his YouTube channel last week that the Blues were preparing to make an opening offer for the youngster in the region of £17m, with additional add-ons driving the fee up further.

Things appear to have progressed yet further over the course of the week, with a deal now looking increasingly likely, according to the Italian.

What has Fabrizio Romano said about Chelsea and Matheus Franca?

Romano was clear in confirming Chelsea's interest in the exciting youngster as well as revealing the club's overall strategy when it comes to South America in the future.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: "Matheus Franca is a serious possibility. They are already invested in Angelo Gabriel. Franca is another super talent.

"So, it seems very clear the idea is to invest in a big way in South American talents and hope to see them in a Chelsea shirt in the future."

How good is Matheus Franca?

It isn't easy to get a full picture of just how good Franca really is as he is still relatively new to senior football, having played just 28 times for Flamengo in Brazil's Serie A.

However, he has managed to impress in his short time as a professional footballer finding the back of the net five times in those 28 appearances and considering he has managed that feat while playing in five different positions, the hype might well be justified.

Football scout Jacek Kulig would likely agrees as he was full of praise for the player when he first flagged him to fans outside of Brazil almost two years ago, saying:

"Great midfielder, great striker, he can play almost everywhere. One of the most exciting teenagers in Brazil at the moment."

Even with his limited experience, some elements of his game jump off the page when you look at his underlying numbers.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position in what they define as the world's next best eight competitions, Franca sits in the top 2% for non-penalty goals, the top 3% for non-penalty expected goals and total shots, the top 4% for touches in the opposition's penalty area, and the top 11% for successful take-ons, all per 90.

If Chelsea can secure his signature for just £17m, it could prove to be a brilliant bit of business in a few years time.

Liverpool are 'exploring' a deal to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia and will turn their attention towards targeting a central defender once another body in the middle of the park has been secured, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

How much will Romeo Lavia cost?

Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg has issued an update on Liverpool's pursuit of Lavia on Twitter, stating: "Talks between Liverpool & Lavia are concrete and ongoing. Understand there is no agreement in terms of salary conditions yet. As reported: His price tag is around £50m. Klopp wants him! Very press resistant player – even in high pressure situations, he loses the ball only once out of 10 times."

Football Insider follow up reports on Liverpool's interest in Lavia and claim that the Reds are 'convinced' that Lavia would favour a move to Anfield over other potential destinations this summer.

Arsenal and Chelsea are also keen on the Belgium international alongside La Liga holders Barcelona; however, the latter are expected to be priced out of a move for Lavia.

Manchester City hold a buyback clause that they inserted in Lavia's deal conditions when he left for Southampton in 2022 worth £40 million, though it doesn't activate until 2024, enabling rival suitors to steal a march on them this off-season, as per Fabrizio Romano.

The Citizens have asked to be kept aware of Lavia's situation and Manchester United along with Newcastle United are monitoring developments, according to 90min.

Liverpool have already taken steps to reshape their midfield and have brought in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai from Brighton & Hove Albion and RB Leipzig, respectively.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jacobs has confirmed that Liverpool are 'exploring' a deal to sign Lavia from Southampton.

Jacobs stated: "Liverpool and potentially Arsenal have looked in the past on Lavia too. They're certainly exploring the deal. I think from Liverpool's point of view, between now and the end of the window, it's very, very likely that they'll still bring in one more midfielder and then they'll turn their attention to centre-back as well."

Is Romeo Lavia good?

Lavia, who has been a "shining star" for Southampton, is a very good young midfielder that has the potential to develop into a Premier League star with the correct stewardship to aid his growth as a player.

Last term, the 19-year-old was a rare bright spark for Southampton during a campaign where they finished bottom of the pile, registering one goal and one assist in 34 senior appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Making his presence known in midfield, Lavia excelled in doing the dirty work for his side and completed around 2.1 tackles per match in the English top flight, according to WhoScored.

Combining successful challenges with interceptions, Lavia won 93 in total over the course of the campaign, illustrating his insatiable hunger to regain possession and turn over possession, as per FBRef.

Of course, Lavia can still go up a few gears in the next few seasons of his career and a move to a big club would likely equip him with the tools to succeed at the elite level.

Klopp will hope to sell Lavia his vision that Liverpool is the place to do that and inherit what could be the final piece of his midfield jigsaw.

Leeds United have held talks regarding a summer deal to bring Newcastle United star Karl Darlow to the Championship, according to reports.

Where is Karl Darlow now?

Darlow is a goalkeeper who has played his football in the northeast for nine years after joining from Nottingham Forest back in 2014, but during the second-half of last season, he was sent out on loan to Hull City in a bid to receive some regular game time, where he ended up making 12 starts in the second tier.

The Northampton-born shot-stopper still has another two years to run on his contract with Eddie Howe’s side, but practically being the last choice in the manager’s pecking order with Nick Pope, Martin Dubravka and potentially also Loris Karius ahead of him, there’s a chance that both parties could be looking for a sale during the ongoing window.

Back in June, Football League World reported that the Whites and the 49ers have been long-term admirers of the 32-year-old but made it clear that he wasn’t their number one target between the sticks, though if the following update is to be believed, it sounds as if they have since had a change of heart.

Are Leeds signing Darlow?

According to Sky Sports, Leeds are "battling it out" with Bournemouth to sign Darlow ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. Newcastle are yet to receive an "official bid" for the goalkeeper, but it's reported that "talks have taken place" with both of the interested parties and that a permanent switch is "likely to be agreed" with either the Cherries or the outfit at Elland Road.

Middlesbrough were also "keen" to strike a deal, though they have pulled out of the race because they "can't match the wages on offer" from their competitors.

Where would Darlow fit in at Elland Road?

Leeds will know that they could lose Illan Meslier this summer with the goalkeeper having publicly admitted that he would be open to a move to Chelsea should they pursue him, so the hierarchy may need to enter the market to find a replacement, and having been hailed “sublime” by journalist Josh Bunting in the past, Darlow could be the perfect successor.

The Unique Sports Group client, who pockets £30k-per-week, kept five clean sheets in 12 Championship appearances for Hull, with this impressive form in such a short amount of time, also seeing him receive a man-of-the-match award at the MKM Stadium.

The 6 foot 2 colossus additionally made 34 saves from 48 shots on target against, giving him a success rate of 75%, which was considerably higher than Meslier who recorded just 59.5%, therefore showing how much of an upgrade he’d be on the current first-choice in LS11.

Finally, Darlow has an extremely strong range of passing with a 99.5% completion rate for short attempts and 97.2% for medium-length passes, so even though he’s slightly older than is ideal considering the club should really be aiming to land a younger more long-term recruit, he is a suitable target for the board to pursue this summer.

Newcastle United reportedly see Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen as a more "realistic" option than teammate Marc Guehi this summer.

Are Newcastle eyeing centre-back signings?

The Magpies will be well aware that they need to enjoy a fruitful time of things in the transfer market, in order to kick on and seal back-to-back top-four finishes in the Premier League.

The likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea are likely to come back stronger in 2023/24 after below-par campaigns, and with the addition of Champions League football at St James' Park, more squad depth is required.

The defence could be an area of the pitch that needs strengthening, despite the performances of Sven Botman and Fabian Schar, especially with the latter now 31 years of age. It could be that Newcastle look to snap up a central defender from the Premier League, with the Magpies also in advanced talks with Southampton over a move for right-back Tino Livramento.

Could Newcastle swoop for Andersen this summer?

According to 90min journalist Graeme Bailey, the £75,000-a-week Dane is considered a cheaper, and therefore more "realistic", summer target than Guehi currently:

"In terms of centre-backs, 90min understands that Newcastle are looking closely at Crystal Palace pair Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen.

"England international Guehi has shone for Palace since joining from Chelsea, although an asking price of over £50m means a deal this summer for Newcastle looks tough given the number of positions they are looking to improve upon.

"Andersen’s price tag is more likely to be less than £30m and it is believed he is a more realistic target for Newcastle at this stage, although the Magpies are still looking at numerous options."

Andersen, who shares the same agency as Nick Pope, has the potential to be an excellent signing by Newcastle ahead of the new season, having proven himself and shone over a sustained period for Palace, whether it be his aerial presence or his all-round defensive ability.

The 27-year-old won an average of 3.3 aerial duels per game for Denmark at the 2022 World Cup, as well as 2.7 in the league last season, and a whopping 5.8 clearances per match in the latter.

Andersen was described as a "massively important" player for Palace by Patrick Vieira during his time as manager, while Robbie Earle once hailed him as "commanding" during his time at Lyon.

He could be a shrewd addition at the back, possibly partnering Botman moving forward as a long-term option, and he would surely jump at the chance to join a team that really feel like they are going places under Eddie Howe.

Newcastle United have thrown their hat into the ring in the race for youngster Adama Bojang, according to a report from The Guardian.

Who is Adama Bojang?

The 19-year-old may not be familiar to many because of where he currently plies his trade but it appears as though he is catching the eye of those who have been able to see him in action.

Despite his age, he has already been given the opportunity to play for his country for example in The Gambia Under-20 team. He has eight caps for them so far and has hit the back of the net six times – an incredible rate.

As for his club side, he currently plays Steve Biko FC in his home country and therefore a move to Europe is somewhat of a risk considering that he has yet to test himself at a really high level. However, it is testament to his abilities that so many clubs have now watched him and consider him to be worth the money that is being demanded. One such side now considering a move for him is Newcastle.

According to a report from The Guardian, the Toon are one of a growing number of Premier League sides – and German teams – who are keeping tabs on the player and are considering stumping up the asking price to seal his signature.

What is Bojang's transfer value?

It appears as though his club would want around 3 million Euros in order to let him leave (or about £2.6m). It's a large fee for a player who is so young and has little experience in the game but again, it showcases the potential interested parties are clearly seeing. In fact, the report adds that there has already been an offer from an unnamed team in Germany for Bojang.

Despite being only 19-years-old, his talent already appears to be clear to those who have seen him. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig for example called him "the future of Gambian football" based on his showings for his international team's Under-20 side. It shows that he is already displaying his potential – and he could be a really good signing for the future if the Toon are able to snap him up and add him to the likes of Garang Kuol.

Sunderland have gone continental in their search for another new striker as Tony Mowbray looks to further add to a squad capable of challenging for Premier League promotion once again.

What are the latest Sunderland transfer rumours?

The Black Cats suffered a disappointing playoff semi-final loss to Luton Town a little over a month ago, but since then they have moved to bring in Nectarios Triantis, Jobe Bellingham and Luis 'Hemir' Semedo.

Semedo impressed for Benfica B last season but is still a relative rookie, having yet to play any senior football, and that could mean Mowbray spreading his proverbial net further out in search for an unpolished gem.

French outlet Le Parisien reports that Rennes forward Matthis Abline may be just the player, with the Black Cats said to be keeping an eye on his situation.

Who is Rennes forward Matthis Abline?

Abline has already played 38 times in Ligue 1 and also has four Europa League appearances to his name, which includes a goal in Rennes' 1-1 group-stage draw with Larnaca last season.

With that strike, he overtook El-Hadji Diouf as Rennes' youngest scorer in European competition, earning praise from football reporter Tom Maston as "another top talent" to emerge through the club's academy.

That was one of just four senior goals the youngster has netted, suggesting he is hardly the 15-goal-plus attacker many Championship clubs crave, but 22 of his 30 league appearances with Rennes and loan side Auxerre came as a substitute last season.

The 20-year-old is also attracting interest from French sides Strasbourg and Lorient, while Rennes value him at €8m (£7m), so he clearly has something about him.

Indeed, while there is definitely room for improvement in terms of his goal return, FBref ranks Abline in the top 15% for progressive carries per 90 minutes (1.96) in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues, and top 14% for both successful take-ons (1.20) and touches in the opposition penalty box (5.81).

To give those numbers some context, at a lower level last season, the highly-regarded Ellis Simms registered 1.92 progressive carries per 90 minutes for Sunderland, 0.48 successful take-ons and 4.64 touches in the opposition box.

Abline also stands out in terms of various defensive metrics such as interceptions (0.34 per 90 minutes) and blocks (0.77) – putting him in the top 16% and 18% respectively among his peers – which shows he is capable of doing both sides of the game.

With Amad Diallo back at Manchester United and Jack Clarke continually linked with a move away, it might well be that France U21 international Abline is considered an ideal option to partner the returning Ross Stewart.

Stewart's 1.12 goals and assists per 90 last season was the third-best return of any Championship players to have played 10 games or more, meaning he is capable of taking care of that side of things.

If Abline can add some goals to his game, the data shows he can be an upgrade on Simms at the Stadium of Light, which will in turn only benefit Stewart when he is fully back up to speed.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will aim to make improvements this summer, despite expected financial constraints following the revelation of the clubs’ Financial Fair Play (FFP) woes.

Julen Lopetegui will wish to bolster his squad this transfer window, which is something he could do in stylish fashion as Wolves’ latest link has emerged as a hot talent.

What’s the latest on Manu Kone to Wolves?

As reported by the Daily Mail yesterday, Wolves are showing interest in Borussia Monchengladbach whizz Manu Kone.

The 22-year-old machine has gathered interest from both Liverpool and Aston Villa for his performances in the Bundesliga, with him being valued at £35m as per the report.

Contracted to Die Borussen until 2025, it’s expected that the club will hold out for a good fee for their star.

What could Manu Kone offer to Wolves?

With Ruben Neves almost certain to depart this summer, Lopetegui must find midfield reinforcements to live up to the absence of the Molineux skipper.

Once hailed as “majestic” by talent scout Antonio Mango, the Frenchman could certainly be the man to fill the vacancy left by Neves’ pending departure.

At just 22 years old, the bustling midfielder was monstrous in the Bundesliga this campaign, as highlighted by his 2.5 tackles per game and 54% total duels won with an enormous average of 7.4 won per game, via Sofascore.

It’s clear to see why the youngster is wanted by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool for his defensive exploits in the engine room, however the Colombes-born gem has far more to his game than protecting the back line.

Having been likened to Brighton & Hove Albion star Moises Caicedo, Kone could replicate the passing ability of Neves in his assured nature in the centre of the pitch.

Also lauded as having a “swagger” about him by Mango, the 22-year-old maintained a passing accuracy of 87% in the Bundesliga this term as well as registering an average of 5.73 progressive passes per 90 via FBref.

As per FBref again, the Gladbach midfielder ranks highly in comparison to midfielders in Europe, positioned in the top 4% in Europe’s top five leagues in the past year for his rate of successful take ons, averaging 1.97 per 90, incomparable to Neves’ 0.57.

While the Portuguese stalwart offers more in the final third, the Wolves target offers an opposing skill set to the 26-year-old, flexing the ability to open the play from deep playing as a commanding defensive midfielder.

His ball-carrying abilities are second-to-none and present as another area that the young whizz could signify progression in Lopetegui’s set-up without Neves, with him averaging 2.04 progressive carries to the Wolves captain’s 0.83 per 90.

With Liverpool and Villa expected to have significantly bigger budgets than Wolves this summer, only time will tell if Lopetegui can source the pennies to lure the talent to Molineux, there is no denying the impact he could have should the Old Gold win the race for his signature.

The Spaniard could well have his perfect Neves successor if that turns out to be the case.

Glasgow Rangers continued their summer rebuild by announcing their third signing of the summer on Tuesday, welcoming Jack Butland to the club.

The experienced English goalkeeper is set to arrive at Ibrox on a free transfer from Crystal Palace at the start of next month and will join Kieran Dowell and Dujon Sterling, who agreed moves to Scotland before him.

Michael Beale's work in the market is far from done as the Light Blues boss is reportedly keen on a number of other deals to improve his squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The Daily Record recently claimed that the Gers are pursuing a deal to sign Cremonese centre-forward Cyriel Dessers, Nottingham Forest's Jonathan Panzo and Swansea winger Morgan Whittaker.

Who is Jonathan Panzo?

He is a 22-year-old central defender who spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Coventry City in the English Championship.

Beale must seal a swoop for the young left-footed enforcer as the ex-Monaco ace could be the future of the club's defence alongside academy graduate Leon King.

He happens to be the only first-team centre-back under the age of 26 as the likes of Connor Goldson, Ben Davies and John Souttar are in the prime years of their respective careers.

Therefore, the club could benefit from bringing a younger defender through the door as they could already have their future replacements for the current first-choice options in the building by the time they move on.

King and Panzo could complement each other tremendously well as the Rangers ace is a right-sided defender who plays on the other side, which means that they suit each other in terms of what they do in possession.

Both of them would be able to open up onto their stronger foot to play the ball out from the back, rather than playing next to a player who forces them onto their weaker foot, which could lead to lesser-quality passing if they are not as proficient on their other side.

Panzo has also proven himself to be a strong and capable defender at Championship level in England. The 22-year-old averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 across 29 appearances and won 58% of his individual duels.

King, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.89 across 15 outings in the Scottish Premiership and also won an excellent 58% of his physical contests, which shows that both players are able to get the better of their opponents more often than not in matches.

Therefore, Rangers must swoop for the £1.5m Forest ace, who was once praised as being "outstanding" by his former coach Mark Robins as he could be an excellent long-term signing for the club who is able to strike a connection with King in the years to come.

Manchester United are in the market for a new striker this summer following Cristiano Ronaldo's premature departure and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Dusan Vlahovic to Man United?

According to Italian news outlet Corriere Torino (via The Faithful MUFC), Man United have been told how much they will need to pay to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic this summer.

As per the report, the Red Devils will need to cough up €90m (£77.5m) to secure the signature of the star and will also need to compete with Bayern Munich to get a deal done.

Would Vlahovic be a good alternative for Harry Kane?

The highest priority for the Manchester giants will be to sign a prolific centre-forward and the pressure to secure one will have only been heightened after the uninspiring attacking performance against Manchester City in the FA Cup final yesterday.

Man United have been linked to many world-class strikers over the last few months with Victor Osimhen and Harry Kane just two named as potential options for the Red Devils, with the latter bringing the massive advantage of having a wealth of experience in the Premier League.

However, with Tottenham Hotspur demanding an eye-watering £100m and some reports even suggesting that the League Cup winners would have to cough up a total bill in excess of £300m to complete the move, it would be an outrageous commitment to sign a striker who will be 30 years old when next season commences.

As a result, the signing of Vlahovic could be the perfect alternative for Kane this summer as he is much younger and would even be a cheaper option without compromising the quality and consistency needed in the forward line.

Over his career so far, the 23-year-old – who was notably dubbed "world-class" and a "beast" by journalist Siavoush Fallahi – has scored 95 goals and registered 16 assists in 220 appearances, with a goal contribution every 126 minutes so far, proving that he provides a reliable output in front of goal that could be a huge asset to Man United.

Whilst Vlahovic only managed to score 14 goals in all competitions this season, there is no doubt that the Serbian striker demonstrates clear potential and it has been suggested that he is not being given the tools to reach his full potential with Juventus.

Forbes Sport journalist Emmet Gates claimed last year: "Dusan Vlahovic has the ability to be a generational talent, but he's suffering in this iteration of Juventus.

"To paraphrase a famous Zlatan line: He's a Ferrari being driven like a Fiat."

With that being said, Erik ten Hag could not only offer Vlahovic the opportunity to play Champions League football next season but he could deliver a potentially career-defining move that would help the Serb unleash his full potential at Old Trafford.