Chelsea announce signing of defender Adarabioyo from Fulham

Chelsea has announced the signing of Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer.

The 26-year-old has signed a four-year contract with the club and will join the Blues on July 1, when his contract with the Cottagers expires.

The former Manchester City defender turned down a new deal at Fulham to pursue his dream of playing in Europe, with Chelsea already qualifying for next season’s Europa Conference League.

“Chelsea is a huge club and this is a full-circle moment for me. I was born three miles away from Stamford Bridge and made my professional debut there,” Tosin told the club’s official website.

“I’m very excited and looking forward to helping push the club in the direction we want to go.”

Tosin, who featured 132 times—78 of those in the Premier League for Fulham—is Enzo Maresca’s first signing as Chelsea manager.

His arrival could see academy graduate Trevoh Chalobah leave the Blues, with Manchester United reportedly interested in signing the 24-year-old.