Chelsea were delighted with Tosin Adarabioyo for one big reason before making him their first summer signing.
Chelsea announced this week that Tosin Adarabioyo, 26, is the club’s first signing of the summer window on a free transfer.
The English defender will officially become a Blues player on 1 July and he’s penned a four-year deal at Stamford Bridge.
We’ve seen Chelsea buy a lot of young and inexperienced players in recent windows, which is a strategy strongly criticised by some sections of the fanbase.
However, Tosin has a tick by his name in terms of experience. The centre-back has spent the last four years as a Fulham star after leaving Manchester City, playing 78 Premier League games during that time.
What Chelsea love about Tosin Adarabioyo
According to The Athletic, club sources at Chelsea believe the aerial ability of Tosin ‘appealed greatly’ to them when identifying him as a target.
It is explained that the Blues have a lack of height in their group, so adding a 6ft 5in centre-half is seen as a really smart decision.
FBREF data claims that Tosin won 66.7% of his aerial duels in the Premier League last season, the 24th best record in the entire division.
The report does add that Tosin’s experience playing a high defensive line, something he did at both Fulham and Man City, also appealed to Chelsea.
How will the Blues defence look next season?
The Chelsea Chronicle thinks Enzo Maresca will have a real headache when selecting his preferred back four.
Reece James and Malo Gusto provide formidable options at right-back, but surely the former and club captain has the edge when fit. As for the left-back spot, it feels like a really 50-50 call between Marc Cucurella and Ben Chilwell.
Who Maresca picks as his centre-back combination is very intriguing.
Tosin joins a list of central defenders at the club that includes the likes of Wesley Fofana, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile and Levi Colwill.
It feels like a big ask for Chelsea’s new signing to break into the XI from day one, but the change of management surely helps his chances.