NEWCASTLE are making progress in their push to snap up free agent Tosin Adarabioyo.
But SunSport understands other clubs, including Chelsea, are in the mix for the Fulham defender.
Tosin, 26, will leave the Cottagers after four years at the club when his contract expires next month.
The Manchester City academy product is one of the hottest freebies around — particularly in the age of profit and sustainability compliance.
Toon boss Eddie Howe has been keen on the centre-back for a long time, particularly with crocked Sven Botman facing a significant spell on the sidelines.
The Magpies have been leading the race but it is not a done deal yet.
Bournemouth’s out-of-contract Lloyd Kelly, 25, could be another option.
Howe wants to bolster the squad, so signing both defenders is not out of the question.
And central to his plans to increase the strength of his side for the 2024/25 season is fending off interest in his star players this summer.
Howe said: “It’s important (to keep best players). Good players are really difficult to find.
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“They’re very difficult to bring into any football club because there’s such a high premium for them.
“I think a lot of the players that we’ve brought in haven’t been ready-made to hit the ground running.
“There’s been a process to get them to the level they are now.
“So, that then means you need time, and that’s time you generally don’t have.
“It’s very much that in the modern day, there’s pressure all the time to keep improving and growing.
“That’s why it’s important to keep our best players.”
