Aston Villa will look to sign 28-year-old English centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo from Chelsea in the final weeks of the summer transfer window.

According to an update from French journalist Sebastien Vidal, Tosin Adarabioyo is the subject of interest from Aston Villa. The Villans are keen on reinforcing their defensive unit by signing a centre-back in the coming weeks to replace the Arsenal-bound Ezri Konsa, and they have set their sights on the 28-year-old Chelsea defender.

Meanwhile, a report by Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas has revealed that SL Benfica, Marseille, and Sevilla are also interested in Adarabioyo, with Marseille establishing contact to discuss a possible deal. Another update by The Sun has revealed that Benfica recently submitted an enquiry to sign the Englishman in the ongoing transfer window.

Tosin Adarabioyo and his Chelsea career so far

Tosin Adarabioyo has had to remain patient since joining Chelsea in a Bosman move in July 2024 after running down his contract with Fulham. While the 28-year-old was the West London club’s first summer signing in 2024, he was in and out of the starting lineup in his debut season at Stamford Bridge. That pattern continued last term.

While the English defender has made over 50 appearances for Chelsea thus far while amassing over 4,500 minutes of game time, he has not been a regular starter for the Blues. With Chelsea now having nearly a dozen centre-backs in the squad after signing Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace, Adarabioyo’s situation may devolve further.

What next?

Aston Villa’s interest in Tosin Adarabioyo makes sense. The Villans are in a spot of bother over the state of their defensive unit, as Ezri Konsa is on the verge of joining Aston Villa. Additionally, Tyrone Mings and Victor Lindelof are on the wrong side of 30 and approaching the twilight of their careers.

So, it behoves Aston Villa to sign at least one centre-back in the final days of the summer transfer window. Several candidates, including Kim Min-jae, have thus emerged on the West Midlands club’s wishlist, with Adarabioyo also a viable target.

The 28-year-old has extensive Premier League experience and should not take long to settle down at Aston Villa. However, with Sevilla, SL Benfica, and Marseille also interested in the English defender, the Villans need to move quickly to seal an agreement for the Chelsea centre-back.