Adarabioyo dismisses talk of leaving for West Ham on loan during January transfer window

NIGERIA-eligible centreback Tosin Adarabioyo has shunned overtures from rival English Premier league clubsides and pledged to remain at Chelsea for the remainder of the season and fight for a place rather than make a move during the January transfer window.

Adarabioyo, 27, is eligible to play for both Nigeria and England but is yet to feature for either team as a senior international. He is currently on Chelsea's books, having joined them on a free transfer from Fulham last season but has struggled to get playing time at Stamford Bridge since his move.

This has prompted several clubs to enquire about getting him on loan during the forthcoming January transfer window, with West Ham leading the way. However, the defender has dismissed all such overtures, saying he plans to remain at Chelsea for the rest of the 2024/25 season.

It has been suggested that the former Manchester City youth team captain might be enticed by the opportunity to take on this new challenge as it would guarantee him regular playing time with the Hammers. However, Tosin said he is fully committed to Chelsea and has no plans to depart Stamford Bridge during the winter transfer market.

Adarabioyo moved to Chelsea on July 1 on a four-year deal, after turning down a new contract that would have made him one of the highest earners at Fulham. Despite his limited playing time, he has featured in virtually every Chelsea match say squad, even though he may not eventually get on to the pitch.

Tosin has been called up for every game played by Chelsea this season, except for the Carabao Cup fixture against Barrow, so he is undoubtedly part of manager Enzo Maresca's plans. Adarabioyo has played the full 90 minutes in five of Chelsea's six Uefa Conference League games, including the qualifying rounds but has only made three starts in the Premier League.