Tosin Adarabioyo explains why he chose Chelsea over interest from Manchester United

A man Manchester United’s new technical director Jason Wilcox knows and admires? It was definitely too good to be true, right?

Well, yes, that’s exactly what it was. BBC Sport have reported that Manchester United have tried to convince the defender to sign.

United were unsuccessful, his move to Chelsea has now been confirmed.

Manchester United held talks with Adarabioyo but Chelsea move

Free agent signings can bring big wages and Man United are looking to end an era of paying eye-watering wages for players who don’t even warrant them. start in that red shirt, Ineos were never going to match the offer on the table at Chelsea.

Adabarioyo insists the move was about more than money. He told Chelsea’s website: “Chelsea is a massive club and this is a full circle moment for me. I was born three miles away from Stamford Bridge and made my professional debut there.

“I’m really excited and I’m looking forward to helping the club in the direction we want to go. Before confirming the move, I called Raz (Raheem Sterling) and Cole (Palmer) and they had nothing but positive things to say about the club and the project and how excited they were to be coming to the club.

“We have developed leaps and bounds. I became a man and established myself as a premier midfielder in the Premier League. That’s why I joined Chelsea.”

Ineos targets several center halves

Man United have touched base with a number of other central defensive targets including Jarrad Branthwaite, Jean-Clair Todibo, Leny Yoro and Goncalo Inacio.

While none will be as cheap as Tosin in terms of transfer fees – all are believed to be valued in and around the £50m mark – it seems fitting in the week Kylian Mbappe joined Real Madrid with a signing fee of over £100m. to emphasize that a free transfer is never really “free”.

In the absence of a transfer fee, free agents tend to end up at new clubs that command much higher wages than those under contract. This might go some way to explaining Tosin’s amazing demands.

“We are delighted to bring Tosin to Chelsea,” Chelsea co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart wrote in a statement. “Throughout his career he has shown his maturity and defensive qualities and has gained a wealth of experience in the Premier League in recent seasons.

“He is ready to step up to Chelsea and work alongside the talented players in our squad. We look forward to Tosin joining us for the pre-season.”