Chelsea and Manchester United have joined Newcastle United in the race to seal the transfer of Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo as he nears the end of his contract this summer.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing column, Fabrizio Romano explained that Newcastle still look to be the most advanced in their pursuit of Adarabioyo, but that Chelsea and Man Utd have also asked to be kept informed on the 26-year-old’s situation.
Adarabioyo certainly looks a tempting option as a free transfer this summer, so it’s not too surprising to see a lot of clubs taking a look at him, even if Newcastle might make sense as the most likely option as they probably need him more than Chelsea and United.
It perhaps seems unlikely that Adarabioyo would start regularly at Stamford Bridge or Old Trafford, so he could do well to take up an offer to move to St James’ Park as the next step in his career.
Adarabioyo transfer: Romano on Chelsea, Man Utd and Newcastle links
Discussing the latest on Adarabioyo’s future, Romano said: “As previously reported, Tosin Adarabioyo has decided to leave Fulham as a free agent this summer, and so there’s unsurprisingly a lot of interest and a lot of media speculation about where he could go next.
“Still, my understanding remains that Newcastle remain frontrunners, they are in advanced talks to sign Adarabioyo this summer, and they’re also chasing another defender in Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly. Newcastle want both players and are progressing well with these deals – they are optimistic about making it happen early in the summer.
“Chelsea and Man United are also informed on conditions of the Adarabioyo deal but at the moment, there is still no substantial change in the race to sign the centre-back; until he signs the contract, it’s still open, so let’s see what happens and if there are any surprises, but for the moment Newcastle are leading the race and their interest is the most advanced.”