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Man Utd now in personal terms discussions with hugely in-demand Premier League target

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Published Aug 18, 2026, 8:42 AM GMT+1

Tom is a football journalist with over five years of experience, specialising in Premier League reporting, feature writing and transfer analysis, with particular expertise covering Liverpool and Everton.

His work has been featured in The Non-League Paper, Crawley Observer, Sussex Express and The Redmen TV, where he produced features, news and exclusive interviews across all levels of the game.

For Football FanCast, Tom has interviewed a number of respected figures from across football, including Ally McCoist, Philippe Senderos and Chris Waddle. Elsewhere, he has covered the National League South play-off final, Formula E's London E-Prix, Crawley Town and Brighton & Hove Albion's Under-21s.

Tom's expertise lies in analysing transfer developments, explaining what they mean for clubs and supporters, and producing in-depth features on the biggest stories in football. Through years of covering Liverpool and Everton, he has developed an extensive understanding of Merseyside football, both clubs' recruitment strategies and the issues that matter most to their supporters. He has also built strong relationships across the football industry that add valuable context to his reporting and analysis.

Tom also enjoys writing features on the broader challenges facing football, its clubs, players, governing bodies and, most importantly, supporters.

Whilst some will grimace at the fact that Ruben Amorim's AC Milan side just defeated Manchester United in pre-season, the Red Devils' old manager may just have dealt them a blessing in disguise.

Defeat at the hands of the Italian giants should have stamped home how much work INEOS have to get done before the end of the transfer window.

After an early flourish saw Karl Darlow, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos arrive, Man United's summer has hit a stumbling block at a time when they still need a defender and a midfielder.

To solve their centre-back problem, it looks like Bayer Leverkusen could provide the answer. Last week, it was Jarell Quansah on Man United's radar as they joined Arsenal in the race to sign the ex-Liverpool man in shock fashion.

This week, however, it's Edmond Tapsoba. The towering defender is a man in-demand and now has interest from Old Trafford alongside other Premier League sides.

At 6'4, the Leverkusen side could replace Harry Maguire and hand Michael Carrick the physical presence that he is arguably lacking ahead of next season.

Man United's potential centre-back options 26/27

Club

Position

Description

Edmond Tapsoba	Bayer Leverkusen	Centre-back	Powerful, athletic defender with Bundesliga and Champions League experience. Comfortable defending in space and progressing the ball from the back. United have been linked with a move for the Burkina Faso international.
Lisandro Martínez	Manchester United	Centre-back	Left-footed, aggressive defender who excels at stepping out from the back and playing progressive passes.
Matthijs de Ligt	Manchester United	Centre-back	Experienced central defender who offers strength, leadership and aerial ability.
Leny Yoro	Manchester United	Centre-back	Highly rated young defender with excellent athleticism and composure on the ball.
Harry Maguire	Manchester United	Centre-back	Experienced England international who remains a useful option thanks to his aerial presence and ability to defend the box.
Ayden Heaven	Manchester United	Centre-back	Young academy graduate who provides developing depth and a long-term option in central defence.

When looking at those options, it's difficult to see real physicality outside of Maguire and Tapsoba - making the latter's potential arrival all the more important this month.

Man Utd launch talks to sign Edmond Tapsoba

As reported by Fussball Daten, Man United are now in talks with Tapsoba over personal terms. The Red Devils are in constant contact with the defender and are now well aware of Bayer Leverkusen's hefty price-tag. The German club will reportedly only open negotiations at €50m (£43m).

They're certainly in a position to make such demands, too. Tottenham and Newcastle have both joined United in pursuit of Tapsoba and the three Premier League clubs lead the race ahead of other European suitors.

Just who blinks first is now the big question. At £43m, Tapsoba should be well within INEOS' price range, given that they signed both Tielemans and Andrey Santos at prices within that range.

Meanwhile, Tapsoba himself would prove to be worth every penny. He is a ready-made Maguire replacement, who progresses play in a similar way and dominates in duels. Time is ticking in the transfer window, but he could be one to watch.

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