Newcastle have joined West Ham, Liverpool, Spurs, and AC Milan in the pursuit of Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo. Although West Ham were initially seen as the frontrunners for the centre-back’s signature, we now face stiff competition.
The 26-year-old declared his intention to depart Craven Cottage last week, despite receiving a lucrative contract extension offer that would have made him one of the club’s top earners.
With only three matches remaining this season, Fulham manager Marco Silva suggested that Adarabioyo might have already played his last game for the club.
“If we need him to play and I decide to put him on the pitch, he will play,” Silva said after the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace. “It doesn’t mean he won’t play anymore for Fulham. I’m focused on the present. I want to win football matches and be as competitive as possible. But we also need to think about the future of the club.”
Adarabioyo has made 131 appearances for the West London club since his transfer from Manchester City in 2020 for £2 million. There’s a notable irony in the possibility that having sold Issa Diop to the Cottagers for a significant sum last year, West Ham might acquire their top defender for free.
I have long believed that we should be buying the best young, proven talent from the clubs in and around us in the EPL. If you looked at the single best player (or two) from each club and bought the ones that helped us fill a squad, what would you have, and what holes would you need to fill from abroad/youth team?
Hmm… now that’s a splendid way to fill a Saturday afternoon.