Chelsea seal Tosin Adarabioyo signing after defender rejects Newcastle

Chelsea have bolstered their defensive options by completing the signing of Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham.

Tosin, who turned down strong interest from Newcastle, has joined on a four-year deal and is the first player to arrive at Stamford Bridge since the appointment of Enzo Maresca as head coach.

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Maresca worked with the defender at Manchester City and believes the 26-year-old will suit his style of play. Tosin is accomplished on the ball and his height will be valuable to Chelsea, who often struggled to deal with high deliveries into their area last season. The club have looked to address their weaknesses at corners and free-kicks by hiring Brentford’s set-piece coach, Bernardo Cueva.

Tosin, who has progressed well since joining Fulham from City in 2020, is regarded as another smart piece of business given that he has plenty of Premier League experience and is cost efficient.

Chelsea were keen to bring in a centre-back after allowing Thiago Silva to leave on a free transfer. Tosin is expected to compete with Benoît Badiashile, Levi Colwill, Axel Disasi and Wesley Fofana, who is recovering from a long-term knee injury. Trevoh Chalobah, who is wanted by Manchester United, is up for sale.