What Falk has heard about Tapsoba amid reports Newcastle have opened talks

Christian Falk now reports that Edmond Tapsoba has been the subject of serious interest from the Saudi Pro League this summer.

Al-Nassr were understood to be the main protagonists in this case, though the player himself ‘isn’t so keen’ on the prospective move.

“There are many clubs interested in Edmond Tapsoba but at the moment Leverkusen don’t want to sell. He had a release clause worth about €95m, but this was running out,” the head of football at the BILD Group told CaughtOffside.

“I heard Al-Nassr was seriously interested in the player, though Tapsoba himself isn’t so keen to go to Saudi Arabia. There must really be a crazy offer that Leverkusen and the player couldn’t refuse. However, there are other players at Leverkusen that are more likely to be sold by comparison.”

The 25-year-old centre-back was ever-present for Xabi Alonso’s men in the 2023/24 campaign. He helped the former Liverpool midfielder lift Bayer Leverkusen’s first league title in their 120-year history, with the club recording the German top-flight’s first-ever invincibles season.

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Are Newcastle United still interested in Tapsoba?

The Shields Gazette reported yesterday that the Magpies had ‘opened talks’ with Leverkusen over the possibility of signing Tapsoba this summer.

That’s not to suggest the club are deviating entirely from top target Marc Guehi, however, despite multiple rejected offers for the Crystal Palace defensive lynchpin.

Unfortunately for the Tyneside-based outfit, it seems the player would rather stay put in Germany than pursue a permanent switch to England. At the very least for one more season.

Money, it seems, won’t clear this particular impasse.