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Barcelona have been given the greenlight to sign Edmond Tapsoba from Bayer Leverkusen. According to a report by Sport, Tapsoba has been offered to all the presidential candidates in the club's upcoming elections by his agent Deco.
It is reported that he currently has a valuation of €40 million and will be open to a move in the summer.
The 22-year-old joined Bayer Leverkusen from Portuguese side Vitoria Guimares in January 2020 and has gone on to make 35 Bundesliga appearances for Peter Bosz' side.
His form in Germany has seen him linked with several clubs on the continent, with Manchester United and Barcelona among the sides speculated to be interested in him.
He has also been an established international since 2016, having made 12 appearances for Burkina Faso.
Tapsoba is represented by Barcelona legend Deco, which puts the Blaugrana in good stead to sign him. His agent could use his positive ties with the club to facilitate a move.
Barcelona and the need for defensive reinforcement
Barcelona's squad is in need of an overhaul, but the center of defense is arguably of the highest priority at the moment.
Gerard Pique is currently out injured and just turned 34 in February. Furthermore, Samuel Umtiti's poor fitness record in recent years suggests that he cannot be trusted in the long-term, while Clement Lenglet has also shown a propensity for errors.
Beyond the duo, Ronald Koeman is left with youngsters Oscar Mingueza and Ronald Araujo.
There are indications that Barcelona have sanctioned the return of Eric Garcia to the Camp Nou next summer. However, the club might still need more defensive reinforcements if they are to successfully get back to the top.
This is where Edmond Tapsoba comes in, as he already has the requisite experience of playing at the highest level. While his young age means that he can marshall the Barcelona defense for another decade.
The proposed transfer fee of €40 million might, however, prove cumbersome as the Catalans are currently in the midst of a financial crisis.
Nevertheless, if Barcelona can find a way to reach an agreement with all parties for the purchase of Tapsoba, this could be a potential solution to what has been a problematic area.
