NIGERIAN-born centreback Tosin Adarabioyo has joined newly-promoted English Premier League side Fulham from Manchester City in a three year deal that comes with the option to extend it by an additional 12 months.
Adarabioyo, 23, was under contract to Manchester City but last season was loaned out to English Championship side Blackburn Rovers where he featured in 34 league games and got three goals. Born in Manchester, Adarabioyo is eligible to play for both Nigeria and England and although he has already appeared for the England U19 team, he is yet to decide on his senior international future.
Following the start of the current season, Everton, West Ham and Fulham all expressed an interest in signing Adarabioyo. Yesterday, Fulham managed to secure his signature just before the end of the transfer deadline and he will now move to Craven Cottage where he will join up with compatriot Ola Aina, who too joined the club this season.
Adarabioyo said: “I’m very excited to get going and finally be playing Premier League football. It was the right time in my career to move on and hopefully I get a lot of Premier League games.
“I felt like the time was right to leave Man City and push on. It was the right time in my career to move on and hopefully get a lot of Premier League games.”
Fulham’s director of football Tony Khan, added: “I’m very excited to announce the addition of Tosin Adarabioyo to Fulham Football Club on a permanent transfer from Manchester City. Tosin has developed as a player and grown into a formidable defender out on loan to the Championship the past two seasons, where we saw his contributions at Blackburn Rovers first-hand last season during our promotion campaign.
“Tosin has received positive ratings from our data team and our coaches and most importantly Tosin himself badly wanted to join us. He will come in and fight for our club.”
As a Manchester City player, Adarabioyo made his first-team debut in February 2016 and ended the season playing in eight games, four of which were in the Champions League. He could make his debut when Fulham take on Sheffield United the Premier League on October 17.
