Vultures circle as Southampton, Norwich join battle for Championship ace
The race to sign Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo is hotting up, with Southampton and Norwich City the latest suitors, according to reports.
The 23-year-old ended an 18-year association with Manchester City to join Fulham last year. He got through plenty of work, with 33 Premier League stars for the Cottagers. However, he could not prevent the west Londoners from slipping into the Championship after they finished 18th.
The Manchester-born star has already played three second-tier games for Fulham this term. It has been a successful start to the campaign as Slavisa Jokanovic’s men sit top of the table on seven points.
But rumours persist that they might be without Adarabioyo in the not-too-distant future. Arsenal and Newcastle United were both linked earlier in the summer.
The giant stopper had a release clause of £10m in his Fulham deal. However it was only valid until 30 days before the start of the Championship season and has now expired.
The Daily Express are reporting that the Canaries and Saints are now in the running. Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl needs a new central defender after Jannik Vestergaard’s defection to Leicester City.
There has been no word on the fee Fulham would demand but it is thought he would be within Saints’ price range. Norwich are known to be on the lookout for defensive reinforcements.
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Daniel Farke has added to his attacking ranks with the capture of Josh Sargent and Christos Tzolis. But with his price likely to exceed the original release clause, it may require some tough negotiations.
Man City reluctant to sell Adarabioyo
Adarabioyo’s displays for Fulham suggest he has a Premier League career ahead of him. Having come through the City youth setup he did make eight senior appearances.
The Etihad outfit wanted to keep him on their books but there was no route to the first team. He had spent a season on loan with West Brom and then one with Blackburn before departing for Fulham.
They wanted him to sign a new deal but, with little prospect of first-team football, he declined. The Citizens do have a 20 per cent sell-on clause and so they will net some cash if he does leave Craven Cottage.
Adarabioyo has played for England at multiple age-groups and is a strong, well-disciplined defender. At 6ft 5 he is also a target at set-pieces although he has scored just three goals from 114 career appearances.
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