The defender had been at City since the age of six and was highly rated by academy coaches, but was cleared to join Fulham last October.
Manchester City have always wanted a local hero to break into their first team to prove their success isn’t just about expensive signings.
On Saturday at Fulham, Phil Foden will continue his journey from youth fan to key player for one of the best teams in Europe.
The 20-year-old has pioneered an academy teeming with talent and the hope is that a number of up-and-coming local players, such as Cole Palmer and James McAtee, can follow in his wake.
Before Foden there were players born in Greater Manchester who made first-team appearances but never seemed to become regulars.
Midfielder George Evans, now at Millwall, defender Cameron Humphreys, currently in Belgium with Zulte Waregem, and Oxford United winger Brandon Barker all impressed but failed to become regulars of a team full of international stars.
For a long time, however, Tosin Adarabioyo seemed most likely to become a first-team regular. A cultured center-back and ball player with an intelligent understanding of the game, the Chorlton-born starlet seemed to have all the attributes needed to take the plunge.
However, after a few first-team appearances and a few loan spells at West Brom and Blackburn, he left the Etihad this season, ultimately severing his ties with the club he had been with since the age of six.
Therefore, while Foden may well be in City’s attacking line, Tosin will be at the heart of Fulham’s defense, desperate to secure a victory that would bolster his side’s hopes of avoiding relegation from the Premier League. .
Tosin left City this last off-season season for an initial fee of just £ 1.5million ($ 2million), with potential for an additional £ 500,000 ($ 690,000) in add-ons, which now looks like the one of the offers of the season. .
There is no buyout option, common in many deals which have seen highly rated academy players leave the club, although City have inserted a 20% sell clause.
The 23-year-old has decided now is the right time to leave after playing consistently and impressed with his composure and leadership during a one-season loan with championship club Blackburn.
There was also the fact that Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake arrived last summer, which only intensified the competition for places at City, with Aymeric Laporte, John Stones and Eric Garcia already in the books, and academy duo Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Luke Mbete-Tabu considered the top prospects.
Both West Ham and Everton were thought to be interested in taking Tosin, but he opted for a deadline change to Craven Cottage and so far the deal is working extremely well for both sides.
Since making his debut in a 1-1 draw at Sheffield United in mid-October, he hasn’t missed a minute of Premier League action.
Tosin has forged a strong partnership with Danish center-back Joachim Andersen, a key development in giving the Cottagers the kind of survival chance that seemed impossible after just two wins in their opening 22 games.
Now, however, Fulham is tied on points with 17th Brighton, having won three of their last six games and only conceding twice in the process.
They will also enter the game against City, supported by a stellar defensive performance that doomed defending champions Liverpool to yet another loss at Anfield last weekend.
“Tosin and Joachim have been really strong,” Parker said ahead of City’s visit. “With great teams, you find that the most important duo are the center-backs. This is essential and essential.
“They formed a very good partnership and performed well, with the whole defensive unit. As a team, we also defended much better.
“It has contributed to our strength. This is largely due to the partnership between them. “
While Tosin’s success will be welcomed by the coaches who have helped him advance in the academy, there will be a sense of disappointment that he has failed at Manchester.
He first joined City at the age of six and even turned down Manchester United when they made an approach.
He captained several of the club’s youth teams and led the Under-18s to the FA Youth Cup final in 2015, when they were beaten by a Chelsea side which included Tammy Abraham.
He made his first-team debut at 18 in the FA Cup quarter-final loss to Chelsea in 2016 and former captain Vincent Kompany has become something of a mentor, claiming the youngster had a key role in playing City going cheeky.
City felt the same and when his contract was due to expire in 2018 they gave him a lucrative new deal to keep Premier League rivals away.
Pep Guardiola was delighted, having had no doubts about the cap’s enormous potential after seeing him put in impressive performances against Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund shortly after arriving as coach in 2016.
“He’s quick, strong in the air and has the quality to look behind the line for the next pass,” the Catalan told reporters. “He definitely has a future in the first team.
“He’s a nice guy, his mind is open, he listens, he trains every day like it’s the last training of his life and I really enjoy working with those kinds of players.”
However, a loan spell at West Brom in 2018-19 did not go well. He struggled to find a regular starting spot and was often forced to play at the back.
He did regain his confidence during his year at Blackburn, however, and Fulham is now reaping the rewards.
Another big performance at Craven Cottage on Saturday would only heighten the feeling that City might have given a potential local hero for next to nothing.