Spurs: Tosin Adarabioyo could halt Lenglet plans

Tottenham are in dire need of defensive reinforcements…

Tottenham Hotspur are confident of luring Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo to the club, having short-listed the Premier League ace for transfer this summer.

That’s according to Football Insider, who reported earlier this week that the 25-year-old could become a ‘real option’ for Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou as the window progresses.

Tottenham are in dire need of defensive reinforcements..

With just one year left on his current deal with the Cottagers, Adarabioyo’s departure is emerging as a very concrete possibility, and he could be available for as little as £13m

Having failed to qualify for Europe this year, Tottenham have appointed Postecoglou from Scottish champions Celtic and are now making the requisite moves to steady the ship, and Adarabioyo is an astute way of enacting this.

How good is Tosin Adarabioyo?

Adarabioyo has made 107 appearances for Fulham since signing from Manchester City for around £2m in 2020, and has been hailed as “sensational” by Rahman Osman for his efforts in taking the club from the Championship and clinching tenth place in the English top-flight last season.

Given the relatively low fee involved in the prospective deal, Postecoglou would be wise to prioritise the transfer over Clement Lenglet, who has recently concluded his year-long loan spell from Barcelona and must not be signed over the Englishman.

Lenglet is reportedly available for 10m (£9m) this summer, with the Lilywhites said to have agreed personal terms with the 15-cap France international after he made 35 appearances for the London side over the 22/23 term.

So wide of the mark have his performances been that pundit Jamie O’Hara has branded the 28-year-old an “imposter”, and given that Tottenham shipped 63 goals in the league last term en route to mediocrity, Lenglet is surely not the answer to the present quandary.

As per Sofascore, the £145k-per-week ace recorded a lowly 6.65 rating across his 26 displays in the top flight, with his misfortune perhaps highlighted by one solitary clean sheet across the matches he featured.

Adarabioyo, comparatively, recorded a respectable rating of 6.89 as Fulham enjoyed a successful campaign, winning 69% of his aerial duels and remarkably forging 5.5 clearances per game.

Given that Postecoglou “brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play”, according to club chairman Daniel Levy, defenders with an aptitude for sweeping away danger would complement the system when looking to track back and prevent dangerous opposition transitions.

Having even been hailed as “exceptional” by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, Adarabioyo is an affordable option to bolster a backline in need of replenishing, and while he will not be expected to have a transformative effect on his own, alongside another well-placed acquisition Tottenham could be one step closer to firing across all cylinders once more.