The player has been brilliant for his club as well.
Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly told their manager Ange Postecoglou to sign one of the country’s top defenders.
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On the pitch, Spurs went from strength to strength under the new boss; won five of their first seven Premier League matches showing exciting attacking football. Tottenham continued their impressive form with a 2-1 win over Liverpool in North London on Saturday. Joel Matip’s own goal in extra time gave the home team all three points. Postecoglou said after the 90th minute that the dramatic late win could help build spirit and belief in his team. “It wasn’t an easy game for us, we knew it wasn’t going to be and even in those conditions we had unique challenges,” explained the Australian. “For some guys it’s the first time they’ve faced this type of scenario and for the most part we coped well. Again, getting a late winner helps build belief and spirit in the group. At Liverpool, even with 10 men, they’re just as dangerous because the game plan is the same, they play with mistakes, they have world class players in front of them who can hurt you. I thought the second half was better because we stayed. A little calmer, we kept. our pressure in wide areas and we got our reward.”
The result keeps Postecoglou in second place and just one point behind last season’s three-time winners Man City, who scored as many goals as Pep Guardiola’s blues. It’s certainly a good time to be a Spurs supporter as the arrival of Antonio Conte’s replacement looks set to breathe new life into them. Outside, chairman Daniel Levy and director of football Scott Munn are slowly preparing for the January transfer window.
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It could be argued that Postecoglou’s side are short on first-team depth, particularly in central defence. If summer signings Micky van de Ven or Cristian Romero – the current star pairing – are unavailable, there are few world-class options to cover them. This has led to reports that Spurs could sign another centre-back after van de Ven this winter, with Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly and Juventus star Gleison Bremer recently linked. Alternatively, the last summer target Edmond Tapsoba, whose international competition in Burkina Faso is becoming revitalizing, appeared on the agenda. According to a report in Spain, the 6ft 4 Bayer Leverkusen star is an “urgent request” from Postecoglou, who has apparently asked his club to complete the deal. He adds that bringing Tapsoba to Spurs would be an “ambitious move” by Levy and others, but Tottenham are “determined” to strengthen their defense in the coming months.
Named one of Leverkusen’s best defenders under head coach Xabi Alonso, the 24-year-old has also been given the “fundamental” tag for his country at international level, according to the press.
