United poised to face stiff competition from Newcastle in pursuit of soon-to-be PL free agent

Manchester United and Newcastle United could go head-to-head in pursuit of Fulham stalwart Tosin Adarabioyo this summer.

The 26-year-old is out of contract at Craven Cottage this June and while Fulham are doing their utmost – offering him the chance to become one of the club’s highest-paid players – to keep their talent at the club long-term, the board may soon have no choice but to accept defeat.

Should this be the case, Adarabioyo, formerly of Manchester City’s academy, will have United and Newcastle (The Telegraph) waiting eagerly to kickstart negotiations over his signature.

He has now spent four years with the Cottagers and prior to that, had gained experience with both West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers on loan. He made only eight first-team appearances for City before completing a £2 million move to the West London outfit.

Both rivals nursing injury woes

Eddie Howe has just been dealt significant blows to his backline after both Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman sustained anterior cruciate ligament injuries, ruling them out of action entirely for around nine months.

Meanwhile, the debilitating injury crisis at Old Trafford looks set to last the entire campaign. Erik ten Hag is currently without centre-back quartet Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans, with Harry Maguire having to play through injury to ensure at least one senior player is available to deputise and partner 19-year-old Willy Kambwala.