Tottenham Hotspur 'in regular contact with Premier League defender'

Fulham mainstay Tosin Adarabioyo has made a name for himself in the top flight since leaving Manchester City in the summer of 2020, joining the Cottagers for just €1.7m (£1.5m).

The 26-year-old has scored five goals while setting up two more in 132 matches for Marco Silva's side, helping the Cottagers return to the Premier League for the 2022-23 campaign.

However, Adarabioyo has never penned a contract renewal in West London, only having a 12-month extension activated last January to keep him at the club until the end of this season.

Following months of speculation over his Fulham future, though, the ex-Man City youngster has informed the Premier League side that he will not be extending his contract and will depart this summer.

Tottenham bidding to fend off competition for Adarabioyo

Adarabioyo has supposedly turned down several extension offers from Fulham, who left him out of their squad for the weekend's 1-1 draw with London rivals Crystal Palace.

The former England youth international will not be short of suitors this summer, and according to Football Insider, Tottenham have now accelerated their interest.

The Lilywhites are supposedly laying the groundwork for a move and have been in constant dialogue with the agents of Adarabioyo, but they are facing intense competition for his services.

Fellow Big Six outfit Liverpool are also monitoring developments, while West Ham United, AC Milan and Monaco are thought to be showing an interest in the 6ft 5in centre-back too.

The latter two sides are already at an advantage in the chase, as Adarabioyo is free to enter pre-contract talks with foreign clubs, while Premier League outfits must wait until he is released from his Fulham obligations.

What other defenders are Tottenham targeting?

Despite the impressive exploits of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, as well as the January capture of Radu Dragusin, Tottenham will try to beef up their backline further for the 2024-25 campaign.

Bayern Munich's Eric Dier is long gone, while Ashley Phillips could be loaned out again after his successful stint at Plymouth Argyle; a stint at a lower-half Premier League team is not beyond the realm of possibility.

Spurs could coincidentally drop down to the Championship to bolster their ranks, as Hull City's Jacob Greaves is supposedly on their shortlist, but Everton have their sights set on the Tigers man too.

Should the powers-that-be make significant funds available for a new centre-back, Bayer Leverkusen title-winner Piero Hincapie could be another option, while Gabriel Osho of Luton Town is set to be available on a free this summer.