Newcastle United 'set to clinch' second summer signing after triggering £28m deal

Newcastle United are closing in on the signing of Tosin Adarabioyo from Fulham, according to a report.

Adarabioyo was left out of the Cottagers’ squad against Crystal Palace on Saturday having started the previous nine Premier League games. The 26-year-old has turned down a new contract at Craven Cottage and will - as it stands - leave on a free transfer this summer.

The ball-playing central defender has been linked with several clubs, including the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, but according to Alan Nixon, Newcastle are set to clinch his signature.

Adarabioyo has made 132 appearances for Fulham, 78 of which have come in the Premier League, since joining from Manchester City in 2020.

Asked at the weekend if Fulham supporters had seen the last of Adarabioyo, manager Marco Silva replied: "He can play. We have three games to play. if I decided he would be on the pitch he would be. It will be my decision always.

"I'm looking for the present. I want to win football matches and be as competitive as we can be. At the same time, we have to prepare for the future of the football club.”

Newcastle’s search for a new central defender comes after both Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles were ruled out until late 2024 with ACL injuries.

If the report indeed turns out to be correct - and there are no guarantees that it will at this stage - Adarabioyo would become Newcastle’s second summer signing following the permanent arrival of Lewis Hall.

Hall joined the Magpies on a season-long loan deal from Chelsea, which included an initial £28million obligation to buy if certain performance criteria was met. That criteria was understood to have be triggered after the recent 4-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur meant United could finish no lower than 14th.

Eddie Howe’s side are tracking another soon-to-be free agent in Lloyd Kelly. The 25-year-old was signed by Howe for AFC Bournemouth in 2019, but he too is attracting interest from other clubs.