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Rob Dawson, Correspondent
Manchester United are interested in signing Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo this summer, sources have told ESPN.
Adarabioyo is out of contract at Craven Cottage at the end of the season and could move to Old Trafford on a free transfer.
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Newcastle, Chelsea and Tottenham have also expressed an interest in the 26-year-old, who has made 20 Premier League appearances this season and scored twice.
The former England youth international joined Fulham from Manchester City in 2020. He’s also had loan spells at West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn.
Adarabioyo signed a contract extension at Fulham in January 2023, but is set to leave the club when his deal expires in June.
United are looking to sign a centre-back this summer as part of a squad overhaul in the first transfer window overseen by the club’s new football leadership team installed by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
New technical director Jason Wilcox knows Adarabioyo well from their time together at Manchester City. Wilcox worked in City’s academy before joining Southampton as director of football.
There are doubts surrounding the futures of a number of United’s existing centre-backs, including Raphaël Varane, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelöf and Jonny Evans.
Varane is out of contract at the end of the season and is set to leave and United will wait until the summer before deciding whether to offer 36-year-old Evans an extension. The club are open to offers for Maguire and Lindelöf, although it’s likely that at least one will stay.
Meanwhile, sources have told ESPN that United are due another payment from Borussia Dortmund after Jadon Sancho helped the German side into the Champions League final.
The loan deal negotiated in January with Dortmund includes a number of add-ons — capped at €4m ($4.3m) — relating to appearances and progression in domestic fixtures and the Champions League. The initial loan cost Dortmund a fee of €3.5m.
Sancho has made 18 appearances and scored three goals since rejoining his former club and started both legs of the Champions League semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain.