Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is looking to exploit Fulham's contractual situation with Tosin Adarabioyo and secure the defender's signature this summer.
What's the latest on Tosin Adarabioyo to Tottenham?
That's according to the Evening Standard, who claim that the Lilywhites are actively pursuing a move for the 25-year-old after concerns over the £50m price tag of Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi.
The wantaway Adarabioyo only has one year left on his current deal with the Cottagers after signing for around £2m in 2020, and Tottenham could now pounce and land the tenacious tackler for a cut-price fee of around €15m (£13m).
The one-time Manchester City youngster has been imperative to Fulham's successful return to the top flight this year and would be an astute piece of business for a Spurs side looking to salvage their position among the frontal pack of the Premier League.
How good is Tosin Adarabioyo?
It will hardly come as a surprise to Tottenham supporters that Postecoglou is seeking to start his tenure at the club by bolstering the defence with several top-quality signings.
But the London side do not boast a bottomless pit of cash and with links to £61m Bayer Leverkusen centre-half Edmond Tapsoba presently at the forefront of transfer conversation, signing Guehi for around £50m is simply unfeasible.
This is why Adarabioyo, who made 29 appearances across all competitions last term as Fulham secured a tenth-placed finish, could be a shrewd alternative, having also been hailed as "exceptional" by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
As per Sofascore, the former England U19 international recorded a rating of 6.89 in the top flight, completing 82% of his passes and demonstrating his exemplary sweeping prowess by making an astonishing 5.5 clearances per match on average, also succeeding with 69% of his aerial duels.
Ranking among the top 2% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for clearances and the top 23% for progressive passes, as per FBref, the £40k-per-week colossus wields the tools to flourish at the highest level and would be a credit to Spurs' backline, praised as "sensational" by journalist Rahman Osman.
He could even emulate former midfield menace Mousa Dembele, following in the former Cottager's footsteps and taking his career to the next level with the Lilywhites.
Having made 249 appearances for Spurs after completing his own move from Craven Cottage in 2012, the 82-cap former Belgium international made increments to his game and became one of Europe's most formidable box-to-box vehicles, having been described by former boss Mauricio Pochettino as a "genius".
Ex-teammate Kieran Trippier also said: "I feel like selling Mousa Dembele, for me, and you can ask anybody who’s played with him, he’s the best player I’ve ever played with, you just can’t replace him."
Dembele was 25-years-old when he joined White Hart Lane – the same age as Adarabioyo is now – and crafted a successful career for himself with the club after initially impressing at Craven Cottage.
The Fulham defender must continue this trend and make the move himself, continuing the ascent in his development and playing a central role for Tottenham as they commence their anticipated resurgence next season.