Who is Tapsoba, the king of the pass in Europe?

2,184 passes made of 2,378 attempted. Only one player on the entire continent has tried more: Rúben Dias. Only one other has come closer: Steven N'Zonzi. Two names, surely, more recognizable than that of Edmond Tapsoba. In the inevitable evolution of football, the center-backs are increasingly being asked to have a good ball out, so it is not surprising that the protagonist of these lines rubs shoulders with rival forwards from the center of the rear. Despite not being a well-known name, the truth is that he is a defender with a great future and one of the great revelations of the Bundesliga in the 2020-21 season.

Born in Burkina Faso, of course he is already international with his native country. What's more, he is the player with the highest market value, valued at 36.5 million euros by the specialized portal BeSoccer, quite a distance from Bertrand Traoré, second. Leverkusen did a good scouting job with him and paid 18 million to the Portuguese Vitoria Guimaraes to take over his services. Despite his youth, neither Peter Bosz in the first instance nor now Hannes Wolf have had any doubts about betting on him. Only the coronavirus stopped him. Not bad for a player who just a year and a half ago was playing for the Vitoria subsidiary and now rubs shoulders with the best in the always competitive Bundesliga.

What is Tapsoba like?

Tapsoba is a right-handed central defender, although he adapts well to either side of the rear. He is 22 years old and 1.92 years old. Needless to say, therefore, that it is a marvel in the aerial game. One of its most notable characteristics is its scoring ability. Playing in the center of the defense, he scored seven goals in the Vitoria Guimaraes subsidiary in 2018-19, another eight in 30 games with the Vitoria first team in 19-20 and has already accumulated two this season, in which he has had to deal with defensive demands that he was not so used to in his previous stage.

He is very skilled at the ball exit, as his figures show in the pass. From all over Europe, remember, only N'Zonzi and Rúben Dias complete more shipments than him. Its 91.8% correctness is a fact to review. But that the striking thing does not hide its main task: to defend. It is intense, it covers a lot of field, makes few fouls, does not make mistakes behind, is an advantageous student in winning split balls and a specialist in defending set pieces. One but to his brilliant resume is that he is not a footballer who goes too low.

Another aspect to praise is its cleanliness. Tapsoba has only received five yellow cards in 36 games. Wolf is a relief that one of his undisputed players is not continually compromised with a warning. Anyway, it is no longer that he does not receive cards, but it is not usual to see him commit a foul, something that is positive, although he still needs to forge himself in some tactical aspects.

The BeSoccer portal rewards you with an outstanding in game features such as control of the yellow cards, interceptions, the opportunities generated in attack in relation to his position, the shots he achieves, the recovery in the vicinity of his own area, in the forcefulness inside the area, in vertical passes, in sending backwards or in winning balls in the rival field of play. Tapsoba points to a man ahead of his time, who has understood the nuances that make the Bundesliga one of the best leagues in the world. His adaptation has been immediate and they already regret in the entity that his explosion will lead him sooner rather than later to another team of the highest level.

“Cut off your head, idiot”

The center-back, in his time at Vitoria Guimaraes, was the star of a viral image. In the preliminary round of the Europa League, Gigi Becali, top manager of Steaua Bucharest, made strong statements against his rival. The words of the president of the Romanian team served to encourage an entire team and a city: “Vitoria de Guimaraes is a worse team than Mlada Boleslav. It is a very slow team, it does not have big names, it has no technique, it has nothing … They are so bad that they don't even scare me. We could play for three consecutive days that they wouldn't score a single goal. They have nothing, absolutely nothing. I cut my head if they mark us”. In the match, Tapsoba scored the first goal and walked over to the box area and gestured to cut off his head in response to his words. He also did it near a sign on which you could read a “cut off your head, idiot“.

Deco offered him to Barça

Whoever was a Barcelona player, Deco, has become a representative of footballers after his retirement and is precisely the agent of Edmond Tapsoba. Before the elections of the Blaugrana entity, the newspaper Sport reported that the Portuguese tried to offer the candidates to the young central defender. The sports area analyzed the signing and, despite the fact that the reports were magnificent, ended up dismissing it because it is an economically impossible operation for coffers that are increasingly punished. In addition, he has a contract until 2026, which makes easy negotiation difficult.

More suitors

At this rate, It seems complicated that Tapsoba can end his contract with Leverkusen. Besides Barcelona, the English press suggests that Manchester United would be very interested in him. At Old Trafford they are looking for a central defender and they have already lost the opportunity for Upamecano and it seems difficult for Koundé to come to fruition. With the most stable attacking talent, the 'Red Devils' seek to reinforce their defense. It is unknown if the central has a clause and it is estimated that its starting price may be around 40 million euros. Be that as it may, there is a huge talent at BayArena that is already breaking records on a continental level …

Graphics via BeSoccer.