Newcastle United are looking to sign a player who has learned a thing or two from Pep Guardiola.
The Magpies are in the market for a new centre-back this summer, with Eddie Howe currently very short of options in that position. Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles are out of action long term, with both players suffering ACL injuries in March.
That has increased the need for Newcastle United to bring in defensive reinforcements. Lloyd Kelly has been heavily linked, with the Magpies currently leading the race to secure his signature.
And they are also leading the race to sign Tosin Adarabioyo who, like Kelly, is going to become a free agent at the end of the season.
Newcastle are keen admirers of the 26-year-old, and are willing to pay him more than £100,000-a-week to move to St James’ Park.
That is a testament to how highly rated he is on Tyneside, while he is certainly someone who caught Pep Guardiola’s eye immediately after he became Manchester City manager.
Pep Guardiola worked with Tosin Adarabioyo at Man City
Guardiola began work as Manchester City boss in the summer of 2016, and immediately looked to implement his passing style. John Stones arrived from Everton, while he also paid close attention to a player in the Man City academy.
Tosin Adarabioyo was 18-years-old at the time, yet was given plenty of chances to impress Guardiola that summer. He featured heavily in pre-season, and made a major impression on the new man in charge.
Guardiola clearly liked what he saw from Tosin, and ultimately gave him some senior minutes in his first season. The defender made three appearances that year, including his first ever Champions League start.
What Pep Guardiola said about Tosin Adarabioyo
Despite only being 18, Guardiola was really impressed with what he saw from Tosin when he first arrived.
He spoke very highly of the teenager, praising him in August 2016 during an interview with the Manchester Evening News.
“He’s a nice guy,” he said.
“His mind is open. He listens. He trains everyday like it’s the last training of his life.
“And I like a lot to work with these kinds of players. He has his whole career in front of him. Against two tough teams like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, he played really well.”
Guardiola added: “We have to tell Tosin he has a lot of steps to get better, so it’s not done, the player isn’t done. But he has all the quality.
“He is fast, he is faster than the people can believe it. He’s strong in the air. He has the quality to look behind the line for the next step, the next pass, but he has a lot of things to improve and I hope I can help him to develop his skills.”
Newcastle have admired Tosin for a long time
Ultimately, Tosin’s Manchester City career came to an end in 2020. Guardiola allowed him to join Fulham, having spent two years on loan in the Championship with West Brom and Blackburn Rovers.
Fulham gave Tosin the chance to play regularly in the Premier League, and he more than seized the opportunity.
That Fulham side was not great, but Tosin was a standout performer. Even though they were relegated, the centre-back still turned heads with his performances.
In fact, he was a target for Newcastle in the summer of 2021. That was when Steve Bruce was manager, which shows just how long he has been on the Magpies’ radar.
Fast forward to 2024 and it looks like Newcastle could finally get their man. And they could be getting a player who is fast, powerful in the air and a great passer of the ball. That is according to Guardiola, who is arguably the greatest manager in the history of the game.
And they are all qualities that Newcastle need. They need more pace at the back, while they cannot just rely on Dan Burn’s height to deal with long balls and crosses.
It is Tosin’s passing ability that is most exciting, however, as that quality is what could make him the ideal candidate to eventually take Fabian Schar’s place.
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