Chelsea have signed Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo, who is of Nigerian descent, on a free transfer from Fulham on a four-year deal. Adarabioyo, who will join when his contract expires at the end of the month, is understood to be making the move to play in Europe, with Chelsea having qualified for next season’s Europa Conference League.
The former Manchester City academy center-back rejected an offer to become one of the highest-paid players at Fulham in April. “Chelsea is a huge club, and this is a full-circle moment for me. I was born three miles away from Stamford Bridge and made my professional debut there,” Adarabioyo said. “I’m very excited and looking forward to helping push the club in the direction we want to go.”
Chelsea hope Adarabioyo can help improve their record in both attacking and defensive set-pieces, as coach Bernardo Cueva joins them in a £750,000 deal from Brentford to establish a set-piece department. Adarabioyo’s arrival could accelerate the departure of Chelsea academy defender Trevoh Chalobah, who is available for sale this summer with reported interest from Manchester United. Thiago Silva, 39, will also leave Chelsea to rejoin Brazilian club Fluminense.
Abdul-Nasir Oluwatosin Oluwadoyinsolami Adarabioyo, who was born to Nigerian parents in London, remains eligible to represent Nigeria’s Super Eagles despite featuring for England at the youth level. Although he had previously rejected an approach from the Nigeria Football Federation, he expressed interest in potentially representing Nigeria at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. With his move to Chelsea, Adarabioyo’s international future remains a topic of interest, with both England and Nigeria vying for his services.
