'Happy' - Fabrizio Romano confirms Chelsea transfer stance on Brighton & Spurs 'target'
A reported Brighton transfer target has had his decision made for him on his immediate future.
Brighton & Hove Albion have learned that Chelsea won't be entertaining letting Tosin Adarabioyo go this month. Earlier this month, the Daily Mail linked the Seagulls with a move for the one-time England under-19 international.
Chelsea have suffered hamstring injuries to Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana, prompting them to call Trevoh Chalobah from Brighton's rivals Crystal Palace. Chalobah was told that he would be playing regularly after the recall was triggered, so now there’s fierce competition for the centre-back spots.
Well respected transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano said in a post on X on Monday evening that Chelsea have no plans to sell Adarabioyo. He is considered an important player under Enzo Maresca, and the former Blackburn Rovers loanee is said to be happy at Stamford Bridge.
Transfer interest in Tosin Adarabioyo
Brighton aren't the only team that have shown an interest in Adarabioyo. Manchester United had an interest in signing him during the summer when he was a free agent but he opted for a move to the capital.
Spurs are in the market for defensive reinforcements following a spate of injuries, and Caught Offside say that Tottenham have been looking at Adarabioyo. They have other targets in mind including Skriniar from Paris Saint-Germain, and AC Milan's Fikayo Tomori.
A product of Manchester City's youth team, the six-foot-five defender has played Premier League football for four of the last five seasons. At Fulham, he made 132 appearances, helping them win promotion. Fulham paid £2m to Man City for his services in 2020, but lost him for nothing in the summer.
Chelsea's current stance is that they do not want to sell him, and so it's unsure what kind of valuation they have on him. He has a TransferMarkt valuation of €20.00m, which was last updated in mid-December. To date, the ex-West Brom man, has made 19 appearances across all competitions for the West London outfit. He's started 16 of those matches, having nailed down his place in the side in the league since last month.
Brighton’s centre-back options
Brazilian centre-back Igor Julio is out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury. He suffered it after coming off against Arsenal earlier this month. Julio required surgery, and so he won't be seen until next season now.
It's disappointing as the £15m signing from Fiorentina had only just returned to the side after being an unused substitute for three consecutive league matches. Following Julio’s injury, Brighton have since been linked with a move for Ousmane Diomande.
Thankfully centre-back isn't a problem position for Brighton. They have Adam Webster, Lewis Dunk, Joel Veltman, and Jan Paul van Hecke to call upon. Dutch defender van Hecke has played the most minutes of any centre-half this season, as well as his compatriot Veltman.
Club captain Dunk missed a few games in October and November, as well as the draw with Arsenal, but has featured 15 times this term. Adam Webster was out with a thigh problem from October to December, but has recently made a return to action. He was an unused substitute against Manchester United last time out.