Tottenham's Late Move for Chelsea's Tosin Adarabioyo
Tottenham are scrambling to reshape their defence in the final days of the window, with a surprise move for Chelsea centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo now on the table, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Spurs have already spent heavily this summer, but any late business is being driven by exits rather than ambition. The situation has been forced by unrest inside the dressing room.
De Zerbi: “He wants to leave”
Roberto De Zerbi has laid it out bluntly: several players want out.
“He said too many times [Richarlison] he wants to leave. Danso came to me two days ago, and he said he wants to leave, and Pape Sarr, the same, but he suffer[ed] a small injury, but he is almost ready to train.”
Those words opened the door for movement. Kevin Danso, in particular, looks increasingly likely to be allowed to go, with Sunderland showing late interest in a deal for the defender.
If Danso walks, Tottenham need a replacement. Fast.
Tottenham turn to Tosin
That urgency has pushed Spurs towards Tosin. Romano reports that Chelsea are working on a deal to sign the defender, with Tottenham exploring the possibility of bringing him in.
At this stage, it’s a “concrete possibility” for Spurs. The structure of the move is still unclear, with both a loan and a permanent transfer under consideration.
One big question hangs over the whole idea: would Chelsea actually sell to Tottenham? The rivalry, the league context, the optics – none of it makes that straightforward. Yet Spurs would not be deep in discussions without some level of encouragement from across London.
Time, though, is not on their side. Any agreement for Tosin has to dovetail with a deal for Danso, and the clock is ticking on both.
Does the move fit?
On the pitch, the fit is not obvious.
Tosin has struggled to establish himself as a regular at Chelsea. At this stage of his career, he needs a club that will start him consistently, not another stop where he sits behind an established core.
Breaking into this Tottenham back line will be a serious task. De Zerbi already has Micky van de Ven, Marcos Senesi and Jan-Paul van Hecke as his three main centre-back options. Tosin would be coming in as cover, not a guaranteed starter.
For Spurs, that cover has value, especially if Danso leaves. But it raises a tactical question. Would a more versatile defender, someone comfortable across the back line, make more sense than a specialist centre-back who might struggle for minutes?
Final piece of the puzzle?
Tottenham’s business is close to done. After bringing in Iliman Ndiaye from Everton, the expectation is that the club’s final signing of the window will be a defender.
Whether that last piece is Tosin, or a different profile entirely, will say a lot about how boldly Spurs intend to defend this season.
