Chelsea linked with move for Edmond Tapsoba

Chelsea are reportedly targeting Edmond Tapsoba this summer despite the defender recently extending his contract with Bayer Leverkusen until 2031.

The Premier League club are planning a major rebuild, and the Burkina Faso international has emerged as a possible option for the center of defence.

Tapsoba, 27, joined Leverkusen from Vitoria SC in January 2020 and has since become one of the club’s most reliable defenders. His new deal was signed in late April, which would normally make a move difficult, but reports suggest Chelsea still want to test the waters.

The interest is linked to Chelsea’s new manager Xabi Alonso, who knows Leverkusen well from his time in Germany. Alonso is said to want to strengthen key areas this summer, including goalkeeper, striker and center-back, with Tapsoba identified as a candidate for the latter role.

Leverkusen are not expected to let him go easily, especially after committing him to a long-term deal. Still, Chelsea’s ambition could make this one of the more interesting transfer stories of the window.