'Done deal' - Liverpool & Newcastle United target completes Premier League move on free transfer

Liverpool target Tosin Adarabioyo is officially off the market as he has sealed a move to Chelsea on a four-year deal.

The ex-Fulham defender was reportedly on a list of potential targets for the Reds following Joel Matip’s departure after his contract expired. With not many options on the market of his quality available for a free transfer, Adarabioyo stood out as a very attractive option for a whole host of Premier League clubs.

Confirmed by a club statement from Chelsea, the Stamford Bridge club said: “Chelsea is pleased to announce centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo will join the club ahead of the 2024/25 season. The 26-year-old has signed a four-year contract – which begins on July 1 – and arrives from west London neighbours Fulham.”

Speaking on the move, the Englishman said: “Chelsea is a huge 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 very excited and looking forward to helping push the club in the direction we want to go”.

It is unclear whether Liverpool will go and buy a new centre-back in Arne Slot’s first window in charge as they already have four senior players in that position. However, Joe Gomez played just five of his 51 appearances at centre-back last season and is being eyed for the left-back role for England at Euro 2024 so it stands to reason that he may not be considered in the same breath as Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Jarell Quansah by nature of his versatility.

Names that have been linked include figures such as Sporting’s Goncalo Inacio, Benfica’s Antonio Silva, Frankfurt’s Willian Pacho and Bayer Leverkusen duo Piero Hincapie and Odilon Kossounou have also been mentioned. The cost for most of these players vary from £40m-60m with many seeing their stock rise after a successful 2023/24 season. For Liverpool, they won’t rush a centre-back signing as whoever is brought in will be tasked with potentially being a key figure in the years after Van Dijk departs.