One-time West Brom loanee Tosin Adarabioyo is set to complete a surprise free transfer to ChelseaFormer West Bromwich Albion defender Tosin Adarabioyo is set to join Chelsea on a free transfer as he prepares to leave west London and Premier League rivals Fulham this summer. The 26-year-old, back then still on the books of Manchester City, joined Albion for a season-long loan deal after they’d dropped out of the Premier League in 2018.
Adarabioyo signed for Darren Moore and played at centre-half, right-back and, against Aston Villa in the play-off semi-final second leg at The Hawthorns, as a holding midfielder under Jimmy Shan. In total, he made 36 appearances for the Baggies – playing in a defence which contained the likes of Ahmed Hegazi, Craig Dawson, Kyle Bartley and, from January, Mason Holgate.
A year later, Adarabioyo returned to the Championship with Blackburn Rovers and played regularly at Ewood Park too, but the defender’s contract at the Etihad Stadium wasn’t renewed in 2020 and he signed for Fulham on a free transfer as they – like Albion – prepared for a return to the Premier League behind closed doors.
While the Cottagers’ fate was the same as the Baggies’, Adarabioyo and Fulham took the second tier by storm under Marco Silva in 2021/22 and he made various teams of the year. Adarabioyo has played regularly for Fulham in their last two seasons back in the top flight, but with his deal having expired, Tosin is keen to explore a new challenge.
Adarabioyo was offered a new deal to become one of Fulham’s highest paid players in April, but Silva admitted at the end of the season that the club were resigned to losing on of their assets for nothing.
Adarabioyo is set to head to Stamford Bridge and will help to fill the void left by veteran Thiago Silva, who is heading out of the club after four years in the Premier League.
While the Cottagers’ fate was the same as the Baggies’, Adarabioyo and Fulham took the second tier by storm under Marco Silva in 2021/22 and he made various teams of the year. The player has played regularly for Fulham in their last two seasons back in the top flight, but with his deal having expired, Tosin is keen to explore a new challenge.
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