Edmond Tapsoba emerges as Eddie Howe's number one centre-back target

Bayer Leverkusen's 24-year-old central defender Edmond Tapsoba is apparently Eddie Howe's primary centre-back transfer target in this summer's window.

The Burkina Faso international has been consistently linked with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur throughout the summer but is apparently at the top of Newcastle's "list", according to the increasingly-reliable Rob M on Twitter:

This list also includes Joachim Andersen of Crystal Palace, Antonio Silva of Benfica, Jean-Clair Todibo of Nice, Perr Schuurs of Torino, and Odilon Kossounou (also) of Leverkusen, according to Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope:

Tapsoba featured 47 times for Leverkusen in 2022/23, appearing in both the Champions League and Europa League, and clearly has the European experience numerous sources have claimed Howe is looking for this summer.

Standing at 6'4" tall, the defender is under contract at the BayArena until 2026 and has a current value of £26 million, according to TransferMarkt.

Right-footed and incredibly comfortable on the ball, Tapsoba's athleticism and strength are two more of his notable assets.

Comfortable as either the right or left-sided central defender, he is also capable of playing in either a back three or back four and is known for performing well in high-pressing units.

Here are his best moments in the Leverkusen shirt, with thanks to SVMM on YouTube:

Interestingly, he was also third on Kev Lawson of StatsBomb's list of suggested targets for a Fabian Schär replacement this summer:

Let's see how this one unfolds. He looks good to us!