Chelsea are closing in on the signing of Tosin Adarabioyo from Fulham.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Tosin Adarabioyo will be the first arrival of the Enzo Maresca era if all goes to plan.
Maresca is set to replace Mauricio Pochettino as Chelsea manager after agreeing a five-year contract with the Blues.
While the Italian will have Adarabioyo to call upon, he looks set to lose Trevoh Chalobah.
It has been claimed that Adarabioyo’s arrival could speed up the process of Chalobah being sold this summer. The 24-year-old is currently being linked with a move to Manchester United.
How Chelsea feel about Tosin Adarabioyo
Chelsea seem to have very high hopes for Adarabioyo ahead of his imminent move to Stamford Bridge.
According to the Daily Mail, there is a feeling behind the scenes that the Fulham man’s career can follow the same trajectory as one Manchester City defender.
The same outlet claims that the City star is Nathan Ake, who used to play for Chelsea.
Ake spent time in west London and at Bournemouth before moving to the Etihad in a £40m deal four years ago.
At City, Ake has gone on to star as a left-back and centre-back, helping Pep Guardiola’s side to win multiple honours, including both the Champions League and Premier League.
Nathan Ake a great example for Tosin Adarabioyo
Ake is the kind of player Adarabioyo and others can look to.
The Dutchman is a modern-day defender who is very comfortable in possession. It is something that a modern-day coach like Maresca is going to want to see from those playing in his backline.
As per FBref, Ake has ranked in the 88th percentile for progressive passes and the 89th for progressive carries among centre-halves over the last year.
As for Adarabioyo, the former City player has ranked in the 51st and the 44th respectively, so he is nowhere near Ake’s level yet. But perhaps that could change once he joins a more dominant team like Chelsea.