Tosin Adarabioyo reaches agreement to join Chelsea and be the first signing under incoming boss Enzo Maresca… with the Fulham defender set to undergo a medical next week after the Blues beat Newcastle to his signature

Tosin Adarabioyo has reached an agreement to join Chelsea and is scheduled to undergo a medical next week.

The Fulham central defender has been at the centre of a tug-of-war between Newcastle, who are understood to have made a generous formal offer to Adarabioyo a fortnight ago, and the Blues and has been deliberating his future since the end of the season.

But the 26-year-old is now set to become Enzo Maresca’s first signing at Stamford Bridge after agreeing to move across west London.

Mail Sport understands the centre half will sign a long-term contract upon completing a medical when he returns from holiday. Adarabioyo is scheduled to arrive back in the UK inside the next 24 hours with a view to completing the formalities. 

Maresca and Adarabioyo have an understanding of how each other work from their respective periods at Manchester City, a factor in Chelsea’s move to target the defender.

The 26-year-old is set to become the first signing for incoming Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca

Eddie Howe and Newcastle are set to miss out despite previously making a formal offer

The fact he is a player with extensive Premier League experience available on a free transfer is an another obvious attraction.

Thiago Silva’s departure this summer has opened up a slot for a centre-back ahead of next season, and Adarabioyo is viewed as an excellent value for money option as the club look to ease the void left by the Brazilian.

And while there is recognition that Adarabioyo isn’t necessarily a like of like replacement for Silva, Chelsea’s technical team view the centre half as a player of significant potential who can develop.

Indeed, there is a feeling behind the scenes at Chelsea that Adarabioyo’s career can follow the same trajectory as their former centre-back Nathan Ake, who left Stamford Bridge for Bournemouth in 2017.

Ake has successfully grown into one of the league’s best defenders after joining Manchester City in 2020, and there is belief Adarabioyo can follow a similar path.

Amid frustration at the their stalling move to sign Adarabioyo, it is understood that Newcastle had already started to look at alternatives, with Nottingham Forest’s Murillo among those interesting the Magpies, although the Brazilian would cost a significant fee.

Adarabioyo is highly-sought after this summer given he will be a free agent at the end of June

Adarabioyo’s signing is not linked to any decision regarding Trevoh Chalobah’s potential exit from Chelsea this summer, but it is clear that the club are likely to listen to offers for the academy graduate with his first team opportunities likely to be limited.

Adarabioyo is scheduled to arrive back in the UK inside the next 24 hours with a view to completing the formalities.