Chelsea are close to beating competition from Newcastle United for key target Tosin Adarabioyo ahead of a free transfer from Fulham.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are the clear favourites to land ‘free agent’ Tosin Adarabioyo from Fulham. The Blues entered the race for the 26-year-old Premier League ace later than expected, but they are now in pole position to beat competition from Newcastle United for the right-back.
Chelsea favourites to land Tosin Adarabioyo?
Fabrizio Romano insists Chelsea are the clear favourites to land Tosin Adarabioyo from Fulham on a free transfer. The 26-year-old Premier League ace has been talking to a host of teams for a few months now and may have chosen his next club.
The arrival of Enzo Maresca as Chelsea’s new manager has seen the Italian prioritise a ball-playing centre-back, and it appears they have found a profile in Adearabioyo. The Fulham man will leave Craven Cottage on a free transfer after refusing to sign a new contract and deciding to leave as a free agent.
Chelsea have been looking for a new centre-back in the aftermath of Thiago Silva’s departure, with Adarabioyo now seen as a replacement for the Brazilian. The defender’s availability on the free made him a solid asset in the market, with many teams looking for a centre-back with Premier League experience, which the 26-year-old certainly has.
As per Romano, the Blues are in pole position to sign Adarabioyo. In cases like this, it’s a matter of who offers decent money and a good project, as Chelsea have offered competitive wages to the defender that have seen them leapfrogging some of their rivals, most notably Newcastle United.
Adarabioyo blow for Newcastle United
As Romano stated, things have not been done yet, and there has to be some level of caution with the Adarabioyo chase. Newcastle have been front runners for some time now, as Eddie Howe was keen to address the deficiency at the back after two of their centre-backs, Sven Botman and Jamal Lascelles, will miss a big chunk of next season with knee problems.
Should Chelsea succeed in their quest to sign Adarabioyo, it will be a big blow to Newcastle’s summer plans. They had hoped to lure the Fulham star and Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly on free transfers.
