Tottenham Pursue Chelsea Defender Tosin Adarabioyo Amid Exit Requests

Tottenham are pushing ahead with plans to sign Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo as they brace themselves for late movement in the window, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Spurs have already spent heavily this summer, but any further business now hinges on outgoings. One of those could be Kevin Danso. Sunderland are circling the centre-back in the final days of the window, and Tottenham are increasingly open to letting him go.

Roberto De Zerbi has already laid bare the situation inside the dressing room. “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.”

Three players, three exit requests. No surprise, then, that Spurs have accelerated their search for a centre-back.

Romano reports that Chelsea are working on a deal to sign Tosin, a move that could in turn free up Danso’s departure. For Tottenham, Adarabioyo is described as a “concrete possibility”, though the structure of any agreement is still undecided. A loan remains on the table, as does a permanent transfer.

The big question hangs over Chelsea’s stance. Would they really sell to a direct London rival? There’s no definitive answer yet, but Tottenham’s effort to advance the talks suggests they have at least some encouragement from Stamford Bridge.

Time is the enemy. Spurs need to sanction Danso’s exit and secure his replacement before the window slams shut, leaving very little margin for drawn‑out negotiations.

There is also the footballing logic to consider. Tosin has struggled to nail down a regular starting role at Chelsea, and his next step almost certainly has to be a club willing to give him consistent minutes. Breaking into a Tottenham back line built around Micky van de Ven, Marcos Senesi and Jan-Paul van Hecke will not be straightforward.

Adarabioyo would add depth and another specialist centre-back option, but a more versatile defender might fit the squad profile better at this stage. A player comfortable across the back line could ease the load and offer De Zerbi more tactical flexibility than a like-for-like replacement.

What does seem clear is the shape of Tottenham’s final move. After bringing in Iliman Ndiaye from Everton, the last signing of their summer looks set to come at the heart of defence. Whether that name is Tosin Adarabioyo or someone else will define how bold Spurs are prepared to be in the final hours of the window.