Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo is wanted by Marco Silva at Benfica, with the Portuguese manager pushing for a reunion with his former player.
Saturday’s edition of Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manhã says Adarabioyo is the centre-back Silva would like Benfica to sign. The pair previously worked together at Fulham for three seasons.
That puts Chelsea in a position to decide whether they are willing to sanction a loan this summer.
Marco Silva turns to former Fulham player
Tosin Adarabioyo played under Silva from the 2021/22 season through to 2023/24. He made 98 appearances during those three campaigns and scored five goals.
He then left Fulham for Chelsea in 2024. But the 28-year-old is now outside the first-choice group at Stamford Bridge, despite making 70 appearances over two seasons.
The newspaper says Silva’s interest comes as Benfica search for a replacement for António Silva. The defender recently joined Bournemouth for €25m (£21.7m).
The Lisbon club knew for several weeks that António Silva was likely to leave. However, some of the defensive options they had identified have since disappeared from the market.
Ibrahima Ba was one of them. Silva had reportedly been following the former Famalicão player closely, but he instead signed for rivals Sporting.
Issa Diop was another option. The Fulham defender had also worked with Silva, spending four seasons under the Portuguese coach. However, he ended up at Ipswich Town.
With those possibilities gone, Adarabioyo is now the manager’s preferred solution.
Benfica want Chelsea loan deal
Tosin Adarabioyo also fits Benfica’s financial plans because they do not want to spend heavily on another centre-back.
They want to take the Chelsea defender on loan, with the possibility of including a purchase clause in the agreement. The newspaper points out Benfica have used that formula several times in recent transfer windows.
Of course for Chelsea that could provide a route to move Adarabioyo elsewhere, without requiring Benfica to commit to a significant fee immediately.
Silva’s role makes this one particularly interesting. He knows exactly what Adarabioyo can offer after those three seasons together at Fulham, and Correio da Manhã presents the defender as his personal choice.
The next part depends on Chelsea. Benfica have identified the type of deal they want, but there is no indication yet that the Blues have agreed to a loan or opened negotiations on those terms.
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