Transfer Gossip: Tottenham interest ‘very strong’ in top defender beyond Arsenal reach; Brighton ready to pounce for Leeds ace

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be ahead of Arsenal in the race to sign a long-term defensive target from the Bundesliga, while Brighton have joined the race for a Leeds United star, and a Wolves striker has a new option to leave – all in Tuesday’s transfer gossip.

TOTTENHAM TRACKING TAPSOBA

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur have a ‘very strong’ interest in Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba.

Tottenham will need to strengthen their defence for incoming head coach Ange Postecoglou this summer. It looks like Davinson Sanchez’s time is finally up and the likes of Eric Dier and Ben Davies are facing uncertain futures too.

Therefore, Spurs should be looking for reinforcements who can make their defence more sturdy. With that in mind, Tapsoba is someone they have been scouting.

Amid the news that their north-London rivals Arsenal are bidding for Ajax’s Jurrien Timber, Romano has explained how Tapsoba has been on the radar of both clubs.

Speaking via his YouTube channel, the reporter said Tapsoba is “a player always appreciated by Arsenal but not a priority this summer because I’m told he’s too expensive.

“Keep an eye on Tottenham for Tapsoba because he’s one of the players they’re following since a long time. Both Arsenal and Tottenham sent their scouts to follow Tapsoba.

“Tottenham are very strong on him, from what I’m told.”

The Burkina Faso international is under contract with Bayer Leverkusen until 2026, having joined them in January 2020. He played 47 times for them in all competitions this season, helping Xabi Alonso’s side secure Europa League qualification.

Tottenham, in contrast, do not have any European football on offer for next season. Nevertheless, they might try their luck at tempting the 24-year-old to the Premier League for the first time in his career.

BRIGHTON PONDER £25m LEEDS RAID

Brighton have become potential bidders for Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams, according to a report.

Adams joined Leeds last summer from RB Leipzig and was one of the better performers in the squad that ultimately suffered relegation to the Championship.

TEAMtalk recently revealed that Adams has told Leeds he now wants out, so he can resume playing in the top tier. In that regard, a number of clubs are queuing up for him.

The latest contenders for the USMNT player, according to the Daily Mail, could be Brighton.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side have already lost Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool this summer and are bracing themselves for interest in Moises Caicedo too.

Consequently, they are weighing up whether to bid £25m for Adams or not. Other suitors mentioned in the report include Aston Villa, Everton and Nottingham Forest.

All of those clubs have supposedly made enquiries about the 24-year-old, who played in 26 matches in his debut season in English football.

But if Brighton beat them to him, he could become the Seagulls’ third new midfielder this summer after the additions of James Milner and Mahmoud Dahoud on free transfers from Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund respectively.

Brighton will be in the Europa League next season after coming sixth in the 2022-23 Premier League table.

WOLVES STRIKER WANTED BY TURKISH TITANS

Wolves striker Fabio Silva is attracting interest from Galatasaray ahead of the new season, a report has claimed.

Silva became Wolves’ record signing when he joined the club in 2020, despite only having three senior goals to his name for Porto at the time.

The striker struggled to make his mark in his first two seasons in the Premier League. To date, his tally for Wolves reads 63 appearances and just four goals.

Therefore, the club sent him away for two loan spells this season. He began the campaign with Anderlecht in Belgium and finished it with PSV in the Netherlands.

Now, the Express and Star has revealed that Silva’s next step could be to sign for Galatasaray in Turkey.

The Super Lig side had Mauro Icardi on loan from Paris Saint-Germain this season, so might need a replacement up front. Bafetimbi Gomis is also about to be released.

Wolves still have Silva under contract at Molineux until 2026.