Leeds should battle for Manchester City defender Tosin Adarabioyo this summer

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Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers are eyeing a loan swoop for Manchester City defender Tosin Adarabioyo, according to the Lancashire Telegraph.

The talented defender went out on loan to West Brom last season, and the report says that Tony Mowbray is hoping that the 21-year-old will be released again this term.

In a Championship field that looks fairly open, Blackburn may well be able to challenge for promotion, but one side they will likely need to get past is Leeds.

And after selling Pontus Jansson to Brentford, they are in dire need of a central defender – and the £30,000-a-week (Spotrac) City ace is absolutely ideal for Marcelo Bielsa’s style of play.

The towering defender has a huge amount of ability on the ball, having some through City’s impressive academy system and learned from Pep Guardiola, who wants his teams to play the same way Bielsa does.

Adarabioyo held his own in the upper echelons of the Championship last season with West Brom, and can also play at right back as well as centre half.

That means he has the versatility Bielsa demands and can help fill two positions in one go – which is ideal when the Argentine prefers to work with such a small squad.

In their defensive state, Leeds can’t let such a talented option join a divisional rival without a fight. The 4-0 loss against Manchester United highlighted their issues at the back, and Adarabioyo on loan would be a real step to fixing them.