Newcastle United £50m transfer target signs new contract —blow for Manchester United & Tottenham

Newcastle United transfer target Edmond Tapsoba has signed a new five-year contract at Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

The 24-year-old was tracked by a number of Premier League clubs in the summer having established himself as one of Germany’s best central defenders. Since joining from Portuguese outfit Vitoria de Guimaraes three years ago, Tapsoba has made 141 appearances.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are understood to have considered signing Tapsoba, while the Burkina Faso international also featured highly on Newcastle’s list of centre-back targets. The Magpies, however, didn’t move to strengthen that position in the end, instead spending their £120m budget on two full-backs, a central midfielder and left forward.

Leverkusen reportedly set an asking price of £50m during the recent transfer window so Tapsoba’s new contract - extending his stay until 2028 - will likely only increase his valuation.

Simon Rolfes, Bayer’s sporting director, said: “Absolutely groundbreaking for our team and our club. Edmond is one of the best central defenders in the Bundesliga, he definitely has the potential to reach the top international level.

“This contract extension has a signal effect for us. We have ambitious goals in Leverkusen that we want to achieve with great players like Edmond Tapsoba. His footballing class combined with his enormous calm and composure make Edmond a top professional and a fixture in our squad.”

Tapsoba said: “A commitment to a club with which I have developed a very emotional bond since my arrival in January 2020. The environment in Leverkusen is special for me.

“The fans support the team fantastically, our squad is getting better every year and I am absolutely convinced that I have the best conditions for a successful future at Bayer 04.”