Chelsea to sign Tosin Adarabioyo

The central defender is signing for the Blues on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract with West London rivals Fulham.

The 2024 Summer Transfer Window is yet to open, but it looks certain that Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea have already sealed their first signing ahead of what looks to be a busy summer for the West London club. Fulham central defender Tosin Adarabioyo looks certain to sign for the Blues this summer in a move that will strengthen the defence, and it was a crucial move to make as a result of the imminent departure of Thiago Silva to Fluminense.

Adarabioyo is set to join on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract with Chelsea’s West London rivals Fulham. The defender has been a standout player for the Cottagers since he joined the club, and him joining without a transfer fee represents a bargain for the club too, which will allow more room for further upgrades in other areas of the team.

It was in the Manchester City Academy where the defender’s career began in 2003. After 13 years playing youth football for the Cityzens, he went on to train with the first team in 2016 whilst continuing to play Under 23 football for the club.

After sporadic appearances for the first team, Adarabioyo went on to join West Bromwich Albion on a loan deal for the duration of the 2018/19 season. He went on to make 30 appearances for the Baggies in the Championship, helping the club to a 4th place finish after they earned 80 points from their 46 matches. They lost to Aston Villa on penalties in the second leg of the promotion play-off semi-finals at The Hawthorns.

The following campaign, 2019/20, saw him move on loan to another EFL Championship side in the form of Blackburn Rovers. He made 34 appearances in the second tier that year, and he was part of a Rovers side that ended up with an 11th place finish with 63 points.

After impressing throughout these two loan spells, Fulham decided to sign the defender from Manchester City on a permanent basis for a reported fee of £1.4 million.

He was unfortunately part of the team that got relegated from the Premier League in the 2020/21 season in 18th place with just 28 points. Tosin made 41 appearances the following season (2021/22), scoring 2 goals and getting 2 assists to boot, to help his team win the Championship title for an instant return to the Premier League under Marco Silva.

The 2022/23 season was his first as a regular in the Premier League. And, he made 25 appearances for the Cottagers as they comfortably stayed up with a total of 52 points in 10th place. Adarabioyo continued to perform well last season (2023/24), scoring twice in 20 appearance with Fulham ending up with a 13th place finish with 47 points.

After impressing in the top flight in the last two seasons, Adarabioyo has reportedly attracted interest from the likes of Newcastle United, Manchester United, and of course Chelsea. The Blues, as mentioned earlier, have signed the central defender on a free transfer ahead of next season, fending off the interest from the Magpies and the Red Devils.

Enzo Maresca and Chelsea will hope, alongside other signings, that Tosin Adarabioyo can help the club continue to make progress up that Premier League table this season, whilst they also compete for European glory in the 2024/25 UEFA Europa Conference League.

Excitement and anticipation are building ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League season, and there is strong optimism that Chelsea can enjoy a very successful campaign in the English top flight.

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