Chelsea have become renowned for their big spending under Todd Boehly, yet Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Blues are targeting a summer move for a free agent.
Romano claims that Tosin Adarabioyo is wanted by the Blues, with data analytics experts SciSports proving that the 26-year-old, who was once on the book of Manchester City, could be a wise signing for the Stamford Bridge club.
Adarabioyo is out of contract at Fulham after signing for the Premier League side in 2020 for a fee of just €1.65 million (£1.5m). He has since gone on to play 78 Premier League matches for the Cottagers and is now seen as a potential solution to Chelsea’s central defensive woes.
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Romano reports for the Daily Briefing: “Newcastle are in the race for Tosin Adarabioyo, that’s for sure. Talks are taking place, he’s one of the names in their list for sure, though nothing is done or agreed yet.
“Chelsea also called to be informed on Adarabioyo a few weeks ago but there’s nothing advanced and no proposal from them at this stage. Still, the defender will be leaving Fulham as a free agent, so it’s not surprising to see interest from multiple clubs.”
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An instant first-team impact
Adarabioyo would go straight into the Chelsea starting XI, according to SciSports, which rates the Manchester-born player only behind Levi Colwill in this area of the field.
A right-sided player, he could slot in seamlessly alongside the former Brighton loan player.
The analytics experts suggest that Adarabioyo is already a better player than the likes of Thiago Silva, who will leave Chelsea on a free transfer this summer, and Wesley Fofana, who has much to prove after another long-term injury.
Chelsea’s centre-back options (SciSports)
| SciSkill | Potentia | |
| Levi Colwill | 105.0 | 138.0 |
| TOSIN ADARABIOYO | 96.5 | 98.7 |
| Wesley Fofana | 94.3 | 116.9 |
| Thiago Silva | 93.1 | 93.1 |
| Trevoh Chalobah | 91.1 | 97.8 |
| Axel Disasi | 88.0 | 100.6 |
| Benoit Badiashile | 87.5 | 110.3 |
| Malang Sarr | 84.6 | 98.2 |
Options such as Trevoh Chalobah, Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi all come further down the pecking order.
It is worth noting that Disasi and Badiashile both have a higher potential ceiling than that Fulham man, yet with Adarabioyo on form, he could provide the instant boost that Mauricio Pochettino is looking for in his defence.
Available on a free transfer, this is a low-risk gamble Chelsea would be wise to take.
