Football365
·21 February 2026
Man Utd ready to spend £52m on Bundesliga star as summer transfer budget is revealed

In partnership with
Yahoo sportsFootball365
·21 February 2026

Man Utd are lining up an offer for Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Edmond Tapsoba in the summer transfer window, according to reports.
The Red Devils spent over £200m on five new signings in the summer market with Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko, Senne Lammens and Diego Leon all joining.
Their investment didn’t have a huge impact initially with Ruben Amorim losing his job earlier this year after a period of poor performances and results.
But interim boss Michael Carrick has won four and drawn one of his first five matches in charge with Man Utd moving up into fourth in the Premier League table.
The potential boost of qualifying for the Champions League could have a big impact on the Red Devils transfer budget for next season and they are already lining up deals ahead of the summer.
German website Fussballdaten claim that Man Utd believe Tapsoba’s ‘his physical qualities as “tailor-made” for the intensity of the Premier League’ and could make a bid in the summer transfer window.
Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and Real Madrid are also credited with interest in the Burkina Faso international and the report explains Leverkusen’s approach to potential offers.
Fussballdaten adds: ‘Although the board is aware of the player’s satisfaction, a transfer will not be blocked if an offer corresponds to his release clause – reportedly around 95 to 100 million euros – or approaches the realistic internal valuation of around 60 million euros.’.
The Bundesliga side are already searching for potential replacements and ‘while Leverkusen’s Champions League success increases his chances of staying, the financial allure of Europe’s top clubs makes a summer transfer very likely should an offer in the range of €55-60 million be received.’
TheWeek, who cover the Tapsoba reports, insist that Man Utd are ‘open to splashing £200 million on new recruits in the summer of 2026’.
There have been rumours that Man Utd will spend a lot of their summer budget on one or two new midfielders with Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister linked.
However, former Man Utd defender Paul Parker insists there is no chance that Mac Allister will move to Old Trafford as it “would never work out, not in a million years”.
Parker told Pariurix: “My first thought is just no, no, no, no, NO. Not in a million years, and I haven’t seen enough reasons why they would get Mac Allister. The club needs a midfielder, maybe even two, but would he be one of those two?
“I think the answer would be no. It would be a big no, and I am 100% sure that he doesn’t even want it to happen because of where he is playing. He has never been quoted saying he wants to play for Manchester United. No one would ever be that silly to ever say that.
“It is just not going to happen, and I just see it as a made up story. Someone made it up because it can generate some clicks. Even if he wanted to come, the club would have to say no. It would never work out, not in a million years.”
Live









































