Tottenham Hotspur have acted swiftly to reinforce their defence following Kevin Danso’s departure to Sunderland.
David Ornstein reports that Spurs have agreed a deal with Chelsea for the permanent signing of centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo. The 6ft 5in defender has already settled his personal terms and has been granted permission to complete his medical before the transfer is officially finalised.
The deal is believed to be worth an initial £7 million, with further payments potentially coming through add-ons, making the move a relatively low-cost option for Roberto De Zerbi.
Tottenham’s move for Adarabioyo comes after Danso told De Zerbi he wanted to leave the club. The Austrian has subsequently joined Sunderland on loan with an obligation to buy, creating the need for Spurs to bring in another central defender as they look to recover from a challenging start to the campaign.
Adarabioyo joined Chelsea from Fulham as a free agent in 2024 and has made 70 appearances across all competitions. However, he has failed to feature in Xabi Alonso’s squad this season, opening the door for a move away from Stamford Bridge.
Should the transfer go through, Adarabioyo would add valuable experience to Tottenham’s defensive options alongside Micky van de Ven, Jan-Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi.
The transfer would also end a 17-year wait for a direct senior-player move between Tottenham and Chelsea, with Carlo Cudicini’s switch from Stamford Bridge to Spurs in January 2009 remaining the last such transfer.
