Tosin Adarabioyo is not a name that will be overly familiar to many beyond supporters of a Manchester City persuasion but it would be little surprise if that was to change over the coming weeks and months.

While City’s struggles to convert chances into goals remain a considerable source of angst for manager Pep Guardiola, Adarabioyo is causing plenty of anxiety behind the scenes as the club’s decision-makers find themselves between the proverbial rock and a hard place over the sensitive subject of the player’s future.

Adarabioyo, for those who don’t know, is a gifted 19-year-old centre-half. Manchester born, tall, fast, good in the air with an excellent attitude, he looks a natural reader of the game and has represented England throughout the junior age groups.

When City are asked to rate the prospects of the current crop knocking on the first team door, Adarabioyo’s name is usually one of the first that rolls off the tongue. Guardiola spoke for many at the club last August when he said of Adarabioyo: “His mind is open. He listens. He trains every day like it’s the last training [session] of his life.”

And yet City find themselves in a jam, a rather big one, and whatever materialises, none of the likely outcomes look too favourable from the club’s perspective. Adarabioyo is out of contract in the summer but talks over a new deal have dragged on and on and others clubs, including Everton and Celtic, are now circling, hoping to take full advantage of the stand-off that has ensued between City and the defender’s family and representatives.