Tosin Adarabioyo’s new contract: Is it really a good news?

One of Manchester City‘s top prospects, 19-year old Tosin Adarabioyo, recently penned a new contract. However, will he really have a future at the Etihad?

After seemingly endless rumors of Tosin Adarabioyo’s departure, the young center back as opted to sign a new deal. The contract will keep him in the Manchester City system for at least five more years. Adarabioyo looked destined to leave the club, as he would have been a free agent this summer. Despite never playing in the Premier League, Adarabioyo will earn £25,000 a week.

It would be sensible to question such lucrative deal. Perhaps the pressure of losing one of the brightest players in Man City youth rankings was too much. However, the most confusing part of the scenario is the situation at the center back position. With Vincent Kompany back and in form for the Citizens, the chances of the young Englishman breaking into the first team is even slimmer. Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones will both be ahead of him in the pecking order. Pep Guardiola is looking to overhaul the squad, especially the aging back four.

Is the lucrative contract the indication that Adarabioyo will receive more minutes next season? No one knows for sure. Pep opted to feature the likes of Aleksander Kolarov in the heart of the defense over the kid. Even though the Serbian left back played admirably, it shows the lack of faith the manager has on Adarabioyo. It is no surprise that he tried to force a move out to seek regular first-team football.

The story sounds too similar to that of Chelsea. The Blues have dominated the English youth league for some time now, yet struggled to produce regular first-teamers. A plethora of players is sent out on loan to various places, only to be stuck in stagnation at a low-level league. Manchester City is not too different, with Kelechi Iheanacho the only academy graduate somewhat regularly receiving minutes.

Admittedly, it is difficult for top teams to recklessly promote a youngster into their starting lineup. There is a reason why smaller teams like Southampton and Everton produce so many great young talents. They could afford to give the kids multiple chances to prove themselves on the pitch. But when Pablo Maffeo is not given a test run over deteriorating Pablo Zabaleta, when Aleix Garcia is not featured when four central midfielders were unavailable, there is a problem.

So why hand Adarabioyo a new contract when the club fails to capitalize on the young talents at their disposal? The fact that the deal followed the recent transfer ban is likely not a coincidence. There is a possibility that the contract offer could have been a panic move on the part of Manchester City as they look to hold on to their young talents.

It is undeniable that the Citizens have a great collection of young stars in their rankings. However, they have also failed to utilize it. The club will simply never learn how good their kids can be without actually seeing it. Perhaps letting Adarabioyo go and watching him develop into a class center back in a different club would have been a dose of reality that was needed to wake up the front office and build a track to the first team for the academy players.

As for Adarabioyo, he can not simply be content with cashing in paychecks and playing meaningless games in League 1 sides. He simply is too good of a footballer to be wasted by the lack of opportunity given at the highest level. It would be a shame to see him become nothing more than a “what-if” player.

Keeping a talent like him is certainly a good news for the club. However, for the development and maturation of both the club and the player, this deal looks like a step backward in high-praised youth development of Manchester City. Will Adarabioyo shatter the glass ceiling, grab the brass ring, and become the first academy graduate to break in as a regular in the first team since Micah Richards?

We will see.