Liverpool signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen could prevent Tottenham Hotspur from landing his team-mate Edmond Tapsoba, according to one transfer insider.
Wirtz is back at his best for Leverkusen following the ACL tear he suffered in March 2022. He has registered seven goals and 10 assists in 21 matches so far this season, helping Leverkusen enjoy a stunning start to the campaign.
The central attacking midfielder has played a key role in Leverkusen going top of the Bundesliga, while they have also stormed their way to the Europa League knockout stages by winning every single one of their five group games thus far.
Manager Xabi Alonso is doing a fantastic job, and this has seen him linked with a move to Liverpool to eventually succeed from Jurgen Klopp. But Alonso is not the only crucial Leverkusen man who could end up at Anfield, with reports naming Wirtz as a top Reds target.
Should the exciting 20-year-old become available for transfer, then Liverpool will likely be at the front of the queue as they want to make him the true replacement for Roberto Firmino. But Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid will all provide competition for his signing.
Last week, Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg revealed that Wirtz will ‘definitely’ leave Leverkusen in 2025, with the German club to try and resist all offers until then.
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Ben Jacobs has now provided an update on the situation, stating that if Liverpool manage to land Wirtz – who is valued at a huge £95million – this could see Tottenham miss out on his defensive team-mate Tapsoba.
“Nothing will happen in January [with Wirtz],” Jacobs said in an interview with GiveMeSport. “There is no chance of a January exit even though we are seeing links ahead of the window opening, which is normal.
Liverpool deal to impact Tottenham signing
“Clubs that are looking are window planning but, from Leverkusen’s perspective, they are not going to entertain a mid-season sale because they are flying at the moment.
“Leverkusen are only planning to lose one or two players in the summer, so that changes the situation a little bit. If Wirtz is to be the one to leave, it means that Edmond Tapsoba or another top player potentially wouldn’t depart.
“That’s just because there is a backing and an investment in Xabi Alonso because of the fantastic job he is doing. The last thing that Leverkusen want is to lose a variety of top players and find that they’ve taken one step forward and two steps back mid-season or, potentially, during the summer.
“I think that will be one to watch in the summer because there is interest in Wirtz. But I don’t think that anything is concrete or advanced at this stage.”
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou is on the lookout for centre-back reinforcements in January, with Micky van de Ven’s injury forcing him to use full-backs Emerson Royal and Ben Davies in central defence recently.
Postecoglou also does not trust Eric Dier, and with the Englishman coming towards the end of his contract, Tapsoba might arrive in North London to replace him.
But if Liverpool get to Wirtz first, then Spurs will be forced to pursue alternative centre-half targets, with Leverkusen eager to avoid a fire sale of all their best players. Luckily for Postecoglou, Spurs do have other defenders on their radar, most notably Nice star Jean-Clair Todibo.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United are reportedly considering a surprise move for a forgotten Spurs man.
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