Manchester United could unlock future transfer decision with Edmond Tapsoba deal

Manchester United were in no rush to sell and replace Harry Maguire this summer, but his pending £30million switch to West Ham could, actually, put them ahead of the curve.

No sooner than an agreement in principle was reached for the now-former captain, attentions were switched to who might replace him within the United squad. Edmond Tapsoba is drawing interest from key figures upstairs at Old Trafford and Erik ten Hag appears intent to snap-up a younger model.

Jean-Clair Todibo, from OGC Nice, is another name currently doing the rounds, while some national outlets have added Marc Guehi and the versatile Benjamin Pavard to that particular shortlist. It remains to be seen whether or not Crystal Palace and Bayern Munich would do business.

Similarly with Bayer Leverkusen when it comes to Tapsoba, there's no obligation to cash-in on their player before the summer window slams shut at 11pm on September 1 - he's under contract until 2026 and any further performances replicating his form from last season will only add a few million pounds to his potential transfer fee in the future.

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But the call of Old Trafford is often louder than most. Having carved out his reputation in the Bundesliga since his move to Leverkusen three-and-a-half-years ago, the Burkina Faso international might see this as his big chance to take the next step at one of Europe's elite clubs - and United will be banging that drum.

Training alongside Raphael Varane, deputising for him and even playing in tandem with him would be the perfect platform to hone