Chelsea have recently called to ask to be kept informed on the situation of Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo, who is also a target for Newcastle United as he prepares to leave Craven Cottage on a free transfer this summer.
The 26-year-old has been a solid performer in the Premier League and looks very good value as a free agent, so Fabrizio Romano admits it’s hardly surprising to see that there seems to be a lot of interest in him ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for the latest edition of his column in the Daily Briefing, Romano explained that Newcastle currently look to have made the most concrete advances to sign Adarabioyo, but that Chelsea could be in the equation too after some contacts.
It seems nothing is decided yet for the former England youth international, so there could perhaps be an opportunity there for Chelsea or other clubs if things don’t work out with Newcastle.
Adarabioyo transfer: Romano’s update on Chelsea and Newcastle interest
Discussing the latest on the Adarabioyo transfer situation, Romano said: “As previously reported, 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.”
Chelsea could do with strengthening in defence this summer, with Adarabioyo showing that he could surely be an upgrade on unconvincing performers like Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi.
Newcastle, meanwhile, will want to bounce back after dropping out of the top four, so a smart free transfer like this could be ideal to help them improve without needing to spend a fortune and risk Financial Fair Play difficulties.