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Chelsea sign Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo

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Chelsea have signed Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer with the 26-year-old joining the Blues on a four-year deal.

Chelsea have signed Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer with the 26-year-old joining the Blues on a four-year deal.

Adarabioyo, who will join when his contract expires at the end of the month, is understood to be making the move in order to play in Europe with Chelsea having qualified for next season’s Europa Conference League.

Former Manchester City academy centre-back Adarabioyo rejected an offer to become one of the highest-paid players at Fulham in April.

“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,” Adarabioyo said.

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

Chelsea hope he can help improve their record in both attacking and defensive set-pieces, as coach Bernardo Cueva joins them in a £750,000 deal from Brentford to establish a set-piece department.

Adarabioyo’s arrival could accelerate the departure of Chelsea academy defender Trevoh Chalobah, who is available for sale this summer with reported interest from Manchester United.

Thiago Silva, 39, will also leave Chelsea to rejoin Brazilian club Fluminense.

‘Man Utd tried to turn Adarabioyo’s head’

Chelsea have secured Adarabioyo amid major pressure from rivals.

Manchester United tried to turn his head with a late approach but he had already agreed a move to Stamford Bridge and kept his word.

It followed Chelsea’s hijacking of Newcastle’s month-long talks for Adarabioyo, with Atletico Madrid having also been interested but unable to compete with Premier League options.

The former Manchester City academy graduate chose Chelsea due to the promise of an important role, the chance to work with new manager Enzo Maresca again – who he briefly worked with at City – and because of his belief in the project.

Chelsea also qualified for Europe ahead of Newcastle.

The Blues’ decision to push the boat out for Adarabioyo is hoped to help improve on a major weakness at set-pieces – utilising his 6ft 5in stature – while both attacking and defending at free-kicks and corners.

Coach Bernardo Cueva will also join from Brentford to build a new set-piece department to improve the club’s fortunes.

There was also a gap left open in the squad by Thiago Silva’s departure and it is believed Adarabioyo’s ability on the ball will be an asset.

 

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Transfers

Sesko to sign new deal with RB Leipzig

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RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko is set to sign a new deal with the Bundesliga side despite reported interest from a number of Premier

RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko is set to sign a new deal with the Bundesliga side despite reported interest from a number of Premier League clubs, BBC Sport understands.

The 21-year-old had been linked with a move to Arsenal this summer, as well as Chelsea and Manchester United.

Sesko scored 14 goals in 31 games during his first Bundesliga season and is part of the Slovenia squad for Euro 2024, where his country will face England, Denmark and Serbia.

Having agreed to join Leipzig in the summer of 2022, Sesko remained at Red Bull Salzburg for the following season before arriving in Germany on a five-year contract that contained a release clause of around £55m.

But amid interest from elsewhere, he will now sign an improved deal with a club who finished fourth in the Bundesliga last season.

 

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Tottenham to break bank for Eberechi Eze ‘release clause’ emerges

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Eberechi Eze's hefty Crystal Palace release clause has come to light, giving Tottenham food for thought as they reportedly weigh up a summer

Eberechi Eze’s hefty Crystal Palace release clause has come to light, giving Tottenham food for thought as they reportedly weigh up a summer swoop. Eze’s stellar form at club level has earned him a spot in the squad Gareth Southgate selected to represent England at Euro 2024.

The 25-year-old made only his third senior international appearance in Monday’s 3-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, showcasing his dazzling dribbling ability from the left-hand side and breezing past players with ease.

That game, coupled with an 11-goal season at Palace, has seen him included in Southgate’s final 26-man squad while the likes of Jack Grealish, James Maddison and Marcus Rashford were left out.

Spurs are already believed to be admirers of Eze but a positive Euro 2024 will undoubtedly draw even more eyes towards the wide man. Any interested party will be forced to fork out a sizable fee.

According to The Daily Mail, the Palace contract Eze signed last November includes a £60million release clause, but any potential buyer will also need to commit to approximately £8m in add-ons, bringing the total package to a dizzying £68m.

Palace face a fight to keep both of their most influential playmakers, with Eze and Michael Olise attracting interest from top Premier League sides. It remains to be seen whether suitors for either player are prepared to cough up the necessary cash.

The Three Lions are among the favourites to win this summer’s Euro 2024 tournament and you can get your hands on the brand new Nike home and away kits before the first whistle.

Spurs are already flush with options out wide but Ange Postecoglou may be given license to sign a player of Eze’s calibre if Richarlison is sold this summer. The Brazilian is reportedly the subject of serious interest from the Saudi Pro League but he played down speculation surrounding a move last month, insisting that he expects to remain in the Premier League next campaign.

As the 2023/24 season drew to a close, Postecoglou made it clear that another squad reshuffle would be required this summer due to the differences in playing style between him and his predecessor, Antonio Conte.

 

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Lukaku: Why I was afraid to join Al-Hilal

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Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku rejected a transfer to Al-Hilal last summer but has revealed that he is now ready to make the

Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku rejected a transfer to Al-Hilal last summer but has revealed that he is now ready to make the move to Saudi Arabia.

After a successful loan stint at Inter Milan, Lukaku was heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, with the Pro League looking to add to their evolving collection of superstars.

Al-Hilal, who had already signed names like Neymar Jr., Ruben Neves, and Kalidou Koulibaly among others, were the front runners for the Belgian. However, the striker decided to make the loan move to Roma instead, and he has explained why he rejected the move to the Middle East.

Speaking to Belgian broadcaster VTM, Lukaku said: “Saudi Arabia wouldn’t stop me. The level will only increase to a much higher level than many people think. More and more football players will tend to play there, also because of how the fans there experience football. The infrastructure still needs to be improved, but all major European clubs know, ‘Saudi Arabia is coming’. You already see that in boxing, golf, Formula 1…”

Speaking of his proposed move to Al-Hilal last summer, he added: “That was really intense at the time. For two weeks. For two days in a row I thought, ‘Yes, I’m going’, ‘No, I’m not going’.

“Because everyone only went to Saudi Arabia after I could sign there, I was scared for a moment.”

After another successful loan spell, Lukaku will return to Chelsea but is unlikely to be a part of Enzo Maresca’s plans for his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge. As per reports, Lukaku will be available for £37 million ($47.3m) for any club to secure his services and it is possible that the Saudi Pro League might look to make a move for the Belgian, who is also a target for Paulo Fonseca at AC Milan.

The striker will now be focused on Belgium’s Euro 2024 campaign as they will look to gain some momentum heading towards the knockout stages. They will start their campaign with a clash against Slovakia on June 17.

 

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