CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs has said that Tottenham Hotspur are likely to concentrate on signing Micky van de Ven over Edmond Tapsoba as a deal for the Bayer Leverkusen star would be much more complicated to pull off.
On Wednesday, we relayed an update from Fabrizio Romano, where the journalist stated that Tottenham are expected to turn their attention towards their pursuit of a left centre-back following the conclusion of the James Maddison deal.
BRUSSELS – Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer 04 Leverkusen during the UEFA Europa League quarterfinal match between Union Sint Gillis and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Lotto Park stadium on April 20, 2023 in Brussels, Belgium. AP | Dutch Height | GERRIT OF COLOGNE (Photo by ANP via Getty Images)
He asserted that Spurs had opened talks over a deal for Van de Ven, with the Dutchman alleged to be keen on a switch to N17.
Romano explained that while Taposba remained on Tottenham’s radar, he was a more expensive option than the Wolfsburg star.
A deal for Tapsoba may be tricky for Tottenham
Jacobs has now asserted that Spurs also face competition from a whole host of clubs for the Burkina Faso international, which is why they are more likely to turn their attention to Van de Ven.
He also added that a move for Max Kilman could be on the cards, with the Wolves star said to be a long-term target for the Lilywhites.
The journalist told Chris Cowlin’s YouTube channel: “I think the first concrete one which we are going to see in terms of negotiations is more likely to be Micky van de Ven.
“That’s the one I think is one to watch as far as Tottenham are concerned but the Leverkusen defender that you mention [Tapsoba] is another possibility and it’s definitely true that Spurs have reached out to initiate those talks and I’m not personally aware of whether they’ve advanced in the last 24 or 48 hours.
“But what I can confirm is that Spurs have begun those talks with Bayer Leverkusen but the thing about Tapsoba to understand is just that there’s a large volume of clubs in the race so Tottenham are not going to have a clear path at this one.
“It’s not going to be like the Maddison deal and that might well lead to complications and also we have to understand the player desire and others may be reporting differently but I’m not aware of a player desire yet on this particular front.
“The other targets to keep an eye out for are Max Kilman still who I revealed a year ago was on Spurs’ radar, so there’s another ball-playing defender that actually started in Futsal and therefore has a very technical skillset.
“I don’t actually think he had the best season last season but the season before he was exceptional and that was what piqued Spurs’ interest, so that’s going to be telling us if they move for Kilman then it shows you there’s thing long-term strategy if they don’t now move for Kilman then it tells you that the newer people at the club are having more input.”
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That advantage that Kilman would have over Tapsoba and Van de Ven is that he is homegrown and has Premier League experience under his belt.
While the Wolfsburg and Leverkusen stars would be riskier signings, they also seemingly have a higher ceiling than the Englishman.
We also know that Postecoglou enjoys working with young players. So, he might fancy his chances of getting the best out of Van de Ven and moulding the Dutchman to the needs of his system.
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