Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Football London
Football London
Sport
Alasdair Gold

Tosin Adarabioyo high on Tottenham transfer shortlist as Ange Postecoglou plots defence overhaul

Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo remains high on Tottenham's list of potential centre-back signings which includes Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven, football.london understands.

Spurs are looking to overhaul a defence that conceded 63 goals in the Premier League last season to ensure new head coach Ange Postecoglou has a solid foundation to work with as he implements his breath-taking style of attacking football in the season ahead. The club have already brought in a new goalkeeper in Empoli's Guglielmo Vicario to take over the reins from captain Hugo Lloris, who has publicly stated his desire to leave for a new challenge after 11 years in north London.

football.london revealed earlier this month that Spurs' aims this summer were to bring in a new goalkeeper, two central defenders, a central attacking midfielder and a young winger, while also replacing any players that tempting offers might come in for in areas of the squad currently lacking in depth.

Vicario has filled the goalkeeper slot and the £40million transfer of James Maddison from Leicester has ticked the attacking central midfielder box. Now Tottenham will look to improve the defence with the aim of signing two new centre-backs rather than just one, if they can move on other defenders in the squad.

Spurs hold a strong interest in Bayer Leverkusen's in-demand Tapsoba as their main central defensive target as well as Wolfsburg's Van de Ven, with both deemed to fit Postecoglou's system and football.london understands that 25-year-old Fulham defender Adarabioyo remains high up the club's list of potential targets as well.

READ MORE: Why James Maddison's Tottenham arrival is key for Harry Kane, Daniel Levy and Ange Postecoglou

The Manchester-born centre-back ticks plenty of boxes as a homegrown player and he is now in the final 12 months of his contract at Fulham, after they activated in January another year on top of his deal, which still means his fee could be less than the other two centre-backs.

The 6ft 5ins former Manchester City academy centre-back made a big impression with his defensive stats within Marco Silva's backline and his ease with the ball at his feet has marked him out as a strong possibility for Postecoglou's defence, with the need to quickly recycle the ball with short, sharp passes.

football.london understands that Spurs have been watching Adarabioyo closely for some time and especially for much of last season and are now weighing up a potential move during this window. They will face competition for his services though if they do decide to push through a move with Inter, Monaco and further clubs in the Premier League, Serie A and the Bundesliga all believed to be monitoring his situation.

Of those currently at Spurs, World Cup winner Cristian Romero is expected to be a good fit for Postecoglou's defence, but Tottenham are looking to move Davinson Sanchez on this summer as he approaches the final year of his contract, while Joe Rodon, who has interest from clubs in the Premier League and Ligue 1, and Japhet Tanganga are also available for moves.

Eric Dier is also now in the final 12 months of his contract but is understood to have no intention of leaving the club this summer and is excited about working under Postecoglou now he is finally injury-free after a groin issue that had been bothering him since the World Cup and finally required surgery in May.

There is also the possibility of Spurs making a move to bring Clement Lenglet back to the club following his loan spell, with Barcelona expected to part with the Frenchman for a low fee.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.