Spurs could have signed "monster" £50m Chalobah alternative
Tottenham Hotspur endured quite a busy Deadline Day despite only welcoming one new face, as Ange Postecoglou had sought to strengthen in key areas before the transfer window slammed shut.
That being said, he had already bolstered his squad sufficiently early on in the summer, having tied up deals for James Maddison and Manor Solomon as well as turning the loanees Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro into permanent fixtures.
Then, Micky Van de Ven marked the integral defensive acquisition needed to add some much-needed solidity after a weak season at the back last year.
Despite bringing in the dominant Dutchman, for a fee that could reach £43m, the general feeling was that another centre-back might be needed to provide sufficient cover for Cristian Romero on the right side of their back four.
Many names were touted throughout a summer posed to be a revolutionary one, but in the end, fans had to settle for just the nine signings.
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That’s not to suggest that they did not at least make a late push to fill that void though, with reports emerging late on Deadline Day that offered a glimmer of hope for the Lilywhites at the eleventh hour.
Did Trevoh Chalobah nearly sign for Spurs?
Whilst that final day of the window was largely dominated by their pursuit and eventual capture of Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson, there were other rumours circling that had fans quietly positive that there was more to come than just the £47.5m Wales international.
Conor Gallagher was one such option, although after seeing a bid turned down the north London club focused their efforts elsewhere.
However, they reportedly remained in west London as they sought that final centre-back signing, with Fabrizio Romano writing at 8:23 pm that night:
The English defender has fallen rapidly out of favour at Stamford Bridge of late despite a meteoric rise to prominence just two years ago, where he established himself as a fine ball-playing asset who is still just 24 years old.
Despite their late push, which even the Tricky Trees mirrored with a failed swoop of their own, in the end, Chalobah decided to stay with his boyhood club despite the wealth of defensive talent that sits ahead of him in the pecking order.
Whilst the breakdown of such a desperate last-gasp move should come as no surprise, it actually outlined their failure to have captured a player for that role earlier in the window, despite those numerous aforementioned targets.
One such rumour that refused to die down was their reported interest in Edmond Tapsoba, who would have provided the perfect profile for Postecoglou’s possession-based system.
Even if his £50m price tag might have seemed lofty, it would have represented far better value than Chalobah, who too saw the same valuation handed to him by the Blues.
How good is Edmond Tapsoba?
Van de Ven’s stellar start to life in England stands as proof of how easily the Bayer Leverkusen star could have taken to the Premier League, with the former Wolfsburg ace having managed a 7.15 average rating this season, buoyed by his 93% pass accuracy, 1.3 tackles and 3.8 clearances per game, via Sofascore.
To pair two former Bundesliga talents together would have proven instantly profitable, given they share a similarly steely physical profile, but have that elegance that lends to the modern game.
The former was emphasised by scout Antonio Mango, who claimed: “He’s a monster. Ball playing defender. Comfortable on the ball. Big, strong. Quick. Position good with a very good footballing IQ.”
After all, when compared to other centre-backs across Europe, Tapsoba sits in the top 10% for passes attempted, the top 3% for progressive passes per 90 and the top 7% for progressive carries per 90, via FBref.
This fed into his outstanding league campaign last term, where the Burkina Faso titan maintained a 6.88 average rating of his own in the league, upheld through his 1.1 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and three clearances per game, via Sofascore.
It is clear that the classy yet combative ace would have marked a far superior piece of business than signing Chalobah for a similar fee, especially given the gulf in quality between them.
Although the Chelsea star also shines when compared to the same aforementioned group across Europe, ranking in the top 16% for progressive carries per 90, it is his lack of experience that sets him apart from the Bundesliga rock.
After all, he boasts just 45 Premier League appearances across his short career, compared to Tapsoba’s 103 in the German top flight.
Not to mention how highly thought of he is within that division, with Ivo Vieira, his former coach at Vitoria Guimaraes, having expected his rise to prominence: “Tapsoba was one of the best centre-backs to play in Portugal, he deserves whatever comes his way."
Postecoglou can hardly be faulted for the start he has enjoyed to life in north London, with his summer signings all largely integrating well, and his philosophy already being well-received by his fanbase.
However, had he abandoned his pursuit for Tapsoba to panic buy the out-of-favour Chelsea man at the death, it would surely have marked the first blunder of his tenure thus far.
Chalobah is a more than capable defender for now, but with the level that the Australian boss will seek to take his new side, perhaps there is a limit to his talents and just how far he could take them had he made the switch.
In the Leverkusen star, few can predict how high his ceiling may be, and therefore the next time Spurs come calling for his services, that £50m fee could have sky-rocketed.
Postecoglou will likely rue that failed swoop, given how the signing of Tapsoba would have capped off his summer spending with the perfect ending.