Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba has broken his silence on the apparent links between himself and Chelsea.
As quoted by Afrique Sports, Tapsoba responded to the rumours that the Blues had him on their radar.
Sport Bild suggested last month that the 22-year-old was a popular figure within the Premier League, following a strong season with the German side.
He made 39 appearances across all competitions, scoring twice from defence.
Chelsea are on the lookout for a new centre-back, as Thomas Tuchel plans to revamp his squad ahead of the upcoming campaign.
However, Tapsoba might just slip through the net after he admitted no approach had been made by the Blues.
“With Chelsea, for the moment, there is nothing concrete, nothing official,” he said.
“What I can say is that I will start my season with Bayer Leverkusen.
“We keep our fingers crossed for God to guide us to the right path.”
This apparent confirmation of loyalty to Leverkusen does put a spanner in the works for Chelsea or any other club interested.
Not to mention the Burkina Faso international’s recent contract extension, which now expires in 2026.
His release clause initially stood at £44m (Express), which could have risen considerably.
No high-end player will come cheap this summer, especially not in the saturated financial market football finds itself in.
Tuchel does already have plenty of centre-halves to work with, so this position isn’t exactly in dire need of fixing.
His issues lie further upfield in attack, where an efficient goal scorer really is required.
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