Newcastle United are tracking a defender who was once tipped for great things by Man City boss Pep Guardiola.
The news that Sven Botman could now be out of action for the next nine months has really thrown a spanner in the works for Newcastle who are in great need of a new centre-back this summer.
A report from HITC claims that Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo could be the answer to their problems with Newcastle who have been keeping tabs on the 26-year-old.
Guardiola made huge prediction for Newcastle target
Adarabioyo first started out in Manchester City’s academy where he was predicted to do great things and went on to make his first-team debut in the FA Cup back in 2016.
He made just eight appearances for Guardiola’s side before being loaned out to West Brom and Blackburn and then eventually making a permanent move to Fulham to play more regularly.
Adarabioyo’s speed and ability to play with the ball at his feet as a defender makes him a very attractive prospect for any club, and given the lack of pace in Newcastle’s defence it’s easy to see why they would be after him.
It never worked out at City but Guardiola knew from an early stage that the centre-back still had what it takes to make it in the Premier League, and as usual he was proved to be right with a number of top teams now tracking him.
On Adarabioyo, Guardiola said: “He has all the quality. He is fast. He is faster than the people can believe it and he’s strong in the air. He has the quality to look behind the line for the next step, the next pass. He has a lot of things to improve on and I hope I can help him to develop his skills.”
Newcastle desperately need a new defender this summer
Even before Botman suffered the ACL injury at the weekend Newcastle were already exploring the market for a new defender, it just may be more of an urgent priority now ahead of the summer.
Newcastle have previously been linked with the likes of Andreas Christensen from Barcelona and Jarrad Branthwaite from Everton who has also just received his first England call-up alongside Anthony Gordon.
But now that finding another defender is a more pressing matter, we may see some new targets emerge in the coming days as Newcastle hope to find a new star man who can take over from captain Jamaal Lascelles.
Fabian Schar was already expected to be replaced for the long-term, but the Swiss defender may now have to take on more responsibility with his Dutch teammate potentially missing until 2025.
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