Photo courtesy of Reuters.
Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing a move to sign Chelsea outcast Tosin Adarabioyo as a replacement for Arsenal-bound Ezri Konsa.
The Villans agreed a deal worth £51m plus add-ons with the Premier League champions for their star defender to depart on Wednesday afternoon, with the England international set to undergo a medical on Thursday before departing.
Unai Emery is now desperate to add a replacement to the squad before the transfer deadline on September 1st, and the club are understood to be looking at a number of potential options for the position, which includes Tosin.
Tosin has been a regular at Chelsea since joining from Fulham on a free transfer two summers ago, but looks set to depart Stamford Bridge after being stripped of his squad number and made to train separately from Xabi Alonso's first-team group.
The Nigerian, who wore number 4 last season, has seen his number given to new signing Valentin Barco and been handed the number 38. Now Villa are exploring whether they can do a deal to bring him to the Midlands.
Chelsea are ready to listen to offers for the 28-year-old, and Villa face competition from European teams such as Marseille, Benfica, and Sevilla for his signature.
Chelsea have had a very busy summer with ten new first-team signings, including central defender Maxence Lacroix, which has pushed Tosin down the pecking order.
But he had featured in every pre-season game under Xabi Alonso prior to the final clash with Real Sociedad, when he was left out of the squad entirely, and had even worn the captain's armband. Now Villa are looking at potentially bringing him in.
||
Tosin Premier League Stats 2025/26
Appearances
Minutes
Tackles (per 90)
Interceptions (per 90)
Clearances (per 90)
Blocks (per 90)
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored
'Leader' Tosin Could Fill Konsa Void
tosin adarabioyo
Tosin's arrival at Stamford Bridge was seen as a coup on a free transfer, but he has struggled to really cement himself as a top-level option on the pitch.
However, his role at the club has extended beyond that, with former manager Enzo Maresca revealing in an interview in September 2024 that he was a 'leader' in the dressing room, while it's also well documented that he is close friends with Cole Palmer.