Tottenham Hotspur are looking to sign either Bayern Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba or Wolfsburg stopper Micky van de Ven; however, they will only bring one of them into the building at Hotspur Way, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
What's the latest transfer news involving Edmond Tapsoba or Micky van de Ven and Spurs?
According to The Daily Star, Spurs are close to signing Bayer Leverkusen defender Tapsoba this summer as Ange Postecoglou gets to work regarding bringing in arrivals in N17.
The report states that the 24-year-old would pitch up at Tottenham in a deal worth around £25 million and finally bring to a close their long search for a defensive addition.
On the flip side, it has been claimed that Spurs have reached an agreement to acquire Wolfsburg defender Van de Ven for a fee in the region of £30 million.
Postecoglou is said to be a huge admirer of Van de Ven, who is believed to have agreed a five-year contract in north London that will run until 2028.
Football London have revealed that Spurs are set to choose who they believe is the best option to push ahead with and view Tapsoba as a more 'ready-made' arrival due to his 'ability on the ball, strength and acceleration'.
Fulham centre-half Tosin Adarabioyo remains high on a list of prospective candidates to bolster Postecoglou's backline ahead of the new season.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano has indicated that only one of Tapsoba or Van de Ven will be brought to Spurs this summer.
Romano stated: “Yeah, for Tottenham, they are still working on both Micky van de Ven and Tapsoba. The idea internally at the club is to just sign one of them.”
Who would be a better fit for Tottenham Hotspur under Ange Postecoglou?
Both players mentioned are of a high calibre and would help to improve Spurs' defence heading into this season; however, only Postecoglou and his recruitment team will know for sure who they prefer.
Comparing both players in key attributes via WhoScored yields mixed results, with both players putting up commendable numbers in different metrics. Van de Ven comes out on top in completed clearances, averaging 3.1 to Tapsoba's three per game in the Bundesliga.
The Dutchman also has a higher pass success rate than Tapsoba, chiming in at 88.3% compared to the latter's 85.% in the German top-flight across 2022/23.
Nevertheless, Tapsoba trumped Van de Ven in successful challenges, interceptions and aerial duels won, making it a tough one to call between two talented defenders.
Last season, Van de Ven made 36 appearances in all competitions for Wolfsburg, registering one goal and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.
On the same token, Tapsoba featured on 47 occasions for Bayer Leverkusen and notched two goals and two assists, as per the same outlet.
La Vanguardia via Sport Witness shared quotes from Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who stated that he expects Tottenham to find an agreement with the Catalan giants to sign loaner Clement Lenglet, meaning that more reinforcements in Postecoglou's backline could occur in the coming weeks at Hotspur Way.
