Newcastle United are being forced to wait patiently as Tosin Adarabioyo continues to ponder his next move.
The Magpies are hoping to bring him in on a free transfer, and were confident of doing a deal late last week. Their hope was to conclude negotiations before the FA Cup final, but that has been and gone without an agreement.
Since then, Chelsea have entered the conversation. They have made an offer for the 26-year-old, while Manchester United still hold an interest in the defender.
It has led to frustration for Newcastle United, who are looking to sign two Premier League calibre defenders on frees. While the Lloyd Kelly deal still appears to be on the cards, there is less certainty regarding Tosin‘s next destination.
Tosin Adarabioyo to Newcastle United is ‘ongoing’
And that is why there is some concern at St James’ Park according to HITC Football insider Graeme Bailey, who has spoken to Geordie Boot Boys about Newcastle’s pursuit of Tosin.
“It’s still ongoing,” he said.
“Newcastle are pushing. A couple of deadlines have been and gone. I think they are a bit frustrated. They want it done – obviously signing these two lads [Tosin and Lloyd Kelly] on frees is quite a big part of their summer plans.
“There’s only so much pressure Newcastle can put on. They’ve been pretty confident about signing him, but it’s a week since the FA Cup final and nothing is done.
“I don’t think it’s a case of him holding out for Chelsea or Manchester United, but I think he wants to see what the offers are.”
Tosin is in a position of power as he prepares to make ‘tough’ transfer decision
Tosin is right to play the field. He is set to become a free agent, meaning he is in a position of power. He should be seeing what all interested parties can offer him before making a decision, even if it is frustrating for Newcastle.
For us, a move to Tyneside makes sense. He wants to work with Eddie Howe, while the Newcastle boss is very keen to bring him to St James’ Park. The club is much more stable than the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United, while Tosin is much more likely to play regular first-team football in the North East.
However, Bailey has told Geordie Boot Boys that he thinks a move to Newcastle could be Tosin’s ‘least appealing’ option.
“From the outside, I would say Newcastle is the least appealing.
“The appeal of Chelsea is that he lives in London and they’re pushing massively. If he likes living in London, he wouldn’t have to move houses. But Newcastle would be best-placed to offer him first-team football.
“It’s a tough one, and that’s why he hasn’t made a decision yet.”
Hopefully a decision is made soon, as it is vital that Newcastle get this deal done. The Magpies need to sign two centre-backs this summer, and getting them both on frees would be a huge boost to the club’s budget.
If Tosin decides to go elsewhere, the club will need to identify another centre-back, and it is unlikely that they will find someone of the same calibre who is also available on a free. That means the would need to use some of their transfer budget, which would limit how much money they can spend on the rest of the squad.
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