In an era where Chelsea are being criticised frequently for the transfer fees they are paying for unproven players, the Blues making a move to Tosin Adarabioyo stands out as an anomaly.
Chelsea signed the defender on a free transfer after his contract with local rivals Fulham came to an end, and his addition correlated with significant efforts to force out one of their own centre-backs.
Chelsea pushed to get rid of Trevoh Chalobah during the summer, however were only able to secure a loan move away from the club for him. He is currently back at Stamford Bridge after a temporary defensive injury crisis.
Given Tosin is one of the most experienced players in the Chelsea squad, it is clear to see why he has quickly become one of the leaders in the changing room.
Youngster Sam Rak-Sakyi praised Tosin for the way he was with the younger players in the squad, and he has been a great asset to captain Reece James in his role.
Photo by Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images
Todd Boehly wasn’t keen on Chelsea signing Tosin Adarabioyo
Despite joining on a free, the English defender commands a big salary. He is believed to be on around £120,000-a-week at Chelsea.
Not everyone at the club was a big fan of the addition, with one of those apposing the signing being co-owner Todd Boehly.
It was reported that Boehly favoured keeping Chalobah instead of replacing him with Tosin, with there also a desire to keep the squad size down.
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The news came about when reports of a rift between Boehly and Behdad Eghbali was front page news in West London.
There have been no real updates on the situation surrounding the owners, with it last being claimed that both had come to the agreement that something needed to change with their situation.
Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Tosin stars vs Leicester
The American was in attendance at the weekend to see Tosin named in the starting side who picked up a clean sheet against Leicester City.
It was a resolute performance at the back from the 27-year-old, as Chelsea were forced to work hard for three points that would see them return to the top four.
Tosin vs Leicester 09/03/25 Total
Minutes 90
Tackles 1/1
Interceptions 2
Duels won 4
Pass accuracy 88%
Tosin has proven a key member of both the dressing room and the starting XI when given minutes by Enzo Maresca, and could end up being one of the most shroud pieces of business by any Premier League side this season.