Chelsea beat Newcastle to agree terms with Fulham star

Chelsea is reportedly about to sign Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo. The 26-year-old center back has been a star performer for the Cottagers since arriving to the club back in 2020. Although he has been a standout in west London, he is set to depart his current club as a free agent. Fulham brass previously attempted to re-sign Adarabioyo, but the defender opted to reject the proposal.

Newcastle had been working on agreeing terms with the defender for weeks now. The Magpies were even willing to reward Adarabioyo with improved terms compared to his current contract. The center back reportedly raked in about $50,000 per week with Fulham. While certainly not a poor deal, similarly talented defenders can typically make more money.

Despite the work by Newcastle, Chelsea has now reached a verbal agreement with the star. According to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, the Blues have even booked a medical for their potential new signing. The tests and paperwork are will likely be complete next week.

Pending new Chelsea coach should appreciate new signing

Adarabioyo now looks set to be Chelsea’s first signing of the summer transfer market. The Englishman will essentially replace Thiago Silva in the squad. The legendary Brazilian is also now out of contract with the Blues and is set to join Fluminense. Silva featured in 38 total matches during the 2023/24 season for former manager Maurizio Pochettino. 31 of these appearances came in Premier League play.

With Pochettino now out, Chelsea will announce the arrival of Enzo Maresca any day now. The Leicester City manager will soon sign a long-term deal to become the Blues head coach. Chelsea’s ownership apparently clashed with Pochettino on several issues, including transfer business.

Blues brass preferred a move for Maresca because the Italian is seemingly fine with not having much say in transfers. Nobody yet knows how much the new coach really rates Adarabioyo. Nevertheless, Chelsea execs clearly wanted to finalize the move before Newcastle could pounce on the player.

The move could mean the end of Trevoh Chalabah’s time at Chelsea

Despite not having a senior cap with his national team, Adarabioyo is still a highly-rated defender. While Maresca may not officially be at the helm just yet, he will likely appreciate the defender’s passing ability. The former Fulham center back has proven to be adequate on the ball and the Italian prefers to play patiently out from the back.

It remains to be seen how much Chelsea are willing to pay Adarabioyo. Nevertheless, Silva’s most recent contract was worth about $140,000 per week. Other Blues central defenders such as Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi make closer to $108,000 each week. Free agents, however, typically earn higher wages because clubs do not have to spend money on a transfer fee.

Adarabioyo’s impending arrival could also signify the end of Trevoh Chalabah’s Chelsea career. The fellow defender has found it difficult to get playing time at the club and may move on at some point this summer. Rivals Manchester United have an interest in the former England youth international. The Red Devils may have to pay up to $30 million for the center back.

Photo credits: IMAGO / PA Images : IMAGO / Pro Sports Images.