Arsenal transfers: Mikel Arteta keen on move for Fulham star with contract clause | OneFootball

According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal are interested in signing Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo this summer.

The Daily Mail claim that Fulham's Adarabioyo is available for just £10m this summer as a result of his release clause at Craven Cottage.

The report suggests that Arsenal are one of several clubs interested in his services, but the Gunners will have to move quickly as his release clause expires around a month before the Championship season starts on August 7.

What has Pep Guardiola said about Adarabioyo?

Prior to moving to Fulham, Adarabioyo had graduated through Manchester City's academy and was taken under the wing of Guardiola. The Spanish manager suggested he has all the qualities to become a top player.

In 2016, as per the Manchester Evening News, Guardiola said, “His mind is open. He listens. He trains everyday like it's the last training of his life.

“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.”

How did Adarabioyo perform last season?

In the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, Adarabioyo cemented himself as Fulham's starting centre-back and formed a strong partnership with Joachim Anderson.

According to WhoScored, the 23-year-old made more clearances than any other Fulham player with 5.8 per league game. He also won 2.5 aerial duels at the heart of the Cottagers' defence.

The former Man City defender proved competent with the ball at his feet, having achieved a pass success rate of 86.2% and he registered 3.6 accurate long balls per game. Indeed, that could help him at Arsenal, given playing out from the back is something Arteta has insisted his team will continue to do.

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Do Arsenal need Adarabioyo?

Adarabioyo could be a shrewd acquisition for Arsenal and, at just £10m, he may be a relatively low-risk signing.

The Gunners are lacking in the centre-back department due to the departure of David Luiz which was announced last month and Adarabioyo could be a suitable replacement for the Brazilian as he proved with his output in the season just gone.

At just 23 years old, the former Manchester City defender has plenty of potential and could develop into a mainstay at the heart of Arsenal's defence.

Interestingly, Adarabioyo has previously played under the watchful eye of Arteta when the Spaniard was assistant manager at City between 2016 and 2019.