In a surprising turn of events, Tosin Adarabioyo, the 26-year-old Fulham defender, has reached an agreement to join Chelsea instead of Newcastle.
Adarabioyo, who is set to become a free agent, is scheduled to undergo medicals nextweek as he finalizes his move to Stamford Bridge.
The negotiations for Adarabioyo’s signature had been a battle between Newcastle and Chelsea, with Newcastle having made a formal offer to the player two weeks ago.
However, Adarabioyo has made the decision to move across west London and become Enzo Maresca’s first signing at Chelsea.
Upon his return from holiday, Adarabioyo will sign a long-term contract with Chelsea after successfully completing his medicals
The player is expected to arrive back in the UK within the next 24 hours to finalize the necessary formalities.
The familiarity between Maresca and Adarabioyo, stemming from their time at Manchester City, played a role in Chelsea’s pursuit of the defender.
Adarabioyo’s Premier League experience and availability on a free transfer have made him an attractive option for Chelsea, especially with the departure of Thiago Silva.
While he may not be a like-for-like replacement for Silva, Chelsea’s technical team sees him as a player with significant potential and room for development.
There is a belief within Chelsea that Adarabioyo’s career could follow a similar trajectory to that of former Chelsea center-back Nathan Ake, who has excelled since leaving the club and joining Manchester City in 2020.
Meanwhile, Newcastle, frustrated by the stalled negotiations, has begun exploring alternative options, with players like Murillo from Nottingham Forest catching their interest, albeit at a significant cost.
It should be noted that Adarabioyo’s signing is unrelated to any potential exit of Trevoh Chalobah from Chelsea this summer, although the club is open to listening to offers for Chalobah, considering his limited first-team opportunities.
