Everton looking to snatch City youngster

Manchester City find themselves in a bit of a quandary over their Academy prospect Oluwatosin ‘Tosin’ Adarabioyo, and Everton are looking to swoop in and solve the problem for them. The 19-year-old defender has been on the fringes of the City first team squad but is yet to play in the Premier League.

The Manchester-born centre back is tall (6’2.5”), good in the air and fast as well. He has been described as being a natural reader of the game and maintains a good attitude despite being overlooked constantly for the senior team. With his contract expiring at the end of this season, the January transfer window is the last opportunity for City to cash in on the player.

Pep Guardiola’s reluctance to give him a shot is all the more puzzling considering how badly the collective of John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi and Aleksandar Kolarov have played, and captain Vincent Kompany has struggled with fitness. And this is not a new problem for City either, with former prospects Karim Rekik and Jason Denayer also constantly frustrated in the search for first-team football.

At the beginning of the current season, Guardiola had described him as -

“His mind is open. He listens. He trains every day like it’s the last training [session] of his life.”

Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images

Now Everton and Celtic have both been linked with moves for the player, and are putting the Citizens in a tough place. With Guardiola not giving the player enough game time, the price tag for the player can only be so high, and with the player’s representation asking for a better remuneration package, it’s difficult for any team to evaluate just how good he really is. He has excelled in his 14 England youth international appearances, and played in one Champions League game as well.

For Everton, they will be looking to replenish the Academy with Tyias Browning and Mason Holgate having made the jump to the senior squad in the last couple of years. Adarabioyo and his agents will be well aware as to his playing prospects at Everton, with the Under-23 squad leading Premier League 2, and with how many youngsters Ronald Koeman has been rotating into his senior squad.