Former Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown is unsure if the circumstances are right for Tosin Adarabioyo to join West Ham United after reportedly demanding a move away from the Etihad Stadium.
Adarabioyo is said to have emerged as a potential target for a number of Premier League and Championship sides this summer, having informed the Man City hierarchy of his intentions to quit Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues during the current window.
Among the top-flight sides believed to be keen on the 22-year-old include West Ham, with The Times’ Paul Hirst suggesting the Irons could challenge London rivals Fulham plus Everton & Brighton for the centre-half’s services.
Adarabioyo spent last term on loan in the second-tier with Blackburn Rovers and enjoyed a strong campaign at Ewood Park, making 34 league appearances and starting 33 of those. He also opened 31 games from a possible 33 between October 19 and July 14 and played the full 90 minutes in those fixtures, in which Tony Mowbray’s side kept seven clean sheets.
But Brown is not yet convinced that Adarabioyo would be wise to seal a permanent move to West Ham if the option presents itself this summer, as the former England U19 international must secure a move to a side where he will be guaranteed minutes if he does indeed quit Man City.
“It’ll be a big step to go up again from playing in the Championship,” Brown told Football Insider. “He needs to go somewhere that he’s going to play.
“I think that’s the difference, he needs to play now. A loan-to-buy? I don’t know, I think it depends on circumstance and I think he’s got to play, that’s the key.”
West Ham currently have three established senior centre-halves on hand in Issa Diop, Fabian Balbuena and Angelo Ogbonna, while David Moyes also has the option of turning to youth and awarding 19-year-old Goncalo Cardoso his senior debut after making the bench five times last term across all competitions.
Signing Adarabioyo to bolster the numbers at the back will not offer Moyes another experienced option, though, as while he played frequently for Blackburn last season, he is yet to dip his toe into the Premier League and has earned just eight cup appearances for Man City to date.
It would more be a move for the future if the towering 6 ft 4 Manchester-born talent arrived in east London before the summer transfer window slams shut.
