Leverkusen´s Tapsoba concentrating on Champions League qualification amid transfer speculation

Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba insisted he is focused on securing Champions League football with the club “which gives me everything”, amid speculation surrounding his future at BayArena.

Tapsoba kept a clean sheet on Saturday as Leverkusen defeated second-placed Borussia Dortmund 1-0, with Robert Andrich scoring a long-range stunner at Signal Iduna Park.

Kasper Hjulmand’s side are fifth in the Bundesliga with five matches remaining, one point behind fourth-placed Stuttgart, who still have a game in hand.

Tapsoba, who is rumoured to be a target for several Premier League clubs, has established himself in the heart of defence since joining from Vitoria de Guimaraes in January 2020, helping the club win the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in 2023-24.

The Burkina Faso international has a €100m release clause in his contract, which runs until June 2028, but he is very much focused on Leverkusen’s short-term goals.

Getting used to thispic.twitter.com/1FwaUBMVb9

— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) April 12, 2026

“In the end, we’ll see what happens,” he said. “It’s important that I concentrate on the remaining games of the season.

“We want to get back into the Champions League. This is the most important international competition. To give that to the club, which gives me everything, is the most important thing for me.”

On the game, he added: “The coach’s message was clear: We have to preserve our identity. We have to play the way we want to play – even if we concede a few goals. We tried to implement that.

“We know what we’re doing and how to defend when we’re in good shape. As a defender, I’m obviously very happy that we won to nil. But we have to keep going, that’s our way. They were three very important points.

“We have to concentrate on ourselves and our games. I think that other teams will also drop points, then we have to be there. It’s very important for self-confidence to win games like this against top teams.”