Since the end of the Premier League season, Newcastle United have turned straight to the transfer market and have now reportedly sent club officials to London to seal a bargain deal for Eddie Howe.
Newcastle transfer news
The Magpies have wasted little time when it comes to reinforcements, with a deal to sign Lloyd Kelly upon the expiry of his Bournemouth contract reportedly on the cards. The centre-back, who can also play left-back, enjoyed an excellent season under Andoni Iraola, but informed the Cherries of his decision to depart in the coming weeks nonetheless.
Taking full advantage, Newcastle's defensive depth problem should be somewhat eased by Kelly's arrival, given his versatility to cover for the likes of Dan Burn and the injured Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman. He's not the only one reportedly on his way in a bargain deal, however.
Newcastle interested in signing "wonderful" ace amid rival's PSR struggles
The Magpies could take full advantage.
ByTom CunninghamMay 23, 2024
According to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, Newcastle officials have travelled to London to seal a free deal for Tosin Adarabioyo with his current Fulham contract coming to an end.
Having rejected several attempts from those at Craven Cottage to extend his deal, the defender is on course to leave as a free agent despite holding a market value of £12.8m. The Magpies will apparently triple his current £40,000-a-week salary, which would put him on par with Kieran Trippier as the Tyneside club's third-highest earner.
Suddenly, Howe will have two young, solid centre-backs to choose from and any previous concerns or circumstances in which Burn was forced into the role should be ended.
As the Magpies seek a return to the Premier League's top four, they've certainly made a good start when it comes to summer recruitment so far.
"Special" Adarabioyo will hand Howe a positive selection headache
It's set to be quite the change in mood for Howe, who was left desperately seeking defensive cover throughout the current campaign, only for injuries to pile up and options to fall short. Now, with Kelly and Adarabioyo on their way, he'll have a positive selection headache. Adarabioyo, like Kelly, won't be arriving to just sit on the bench, which hands Fabian Schar and Botman, when he returns, plenty of healthy competition.
Starts
18
35
15
Progressive Passes per 90
3.44
3.92
2.29
Tackles Won per 90
0.61
0.71
0.85
Ball Recoveries per 90
2.39
5.13
4.58
Fulham boss Marco Silva will be disappointed to see Adarabioyo heading for the exit door, having praised his centre-back earlier this season. He told beIN Sports: “He is a key player for us. He is one of the leaders in our dressing room and we need these guys to step in in the right moments and he did it.
“We missed him a lot, we missed him because he didn’t play the first three months of the season. Tosin is a special player for us, I can’t hide that situation. The way he can defend the box but also on the ball he is a special player for me, the way I want to play, the way he can build (from the back)."
