Aston Villa have received a significant boost in their pursuit of Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo, with the London club making their stance clear on the out-of-favour centre-back. The 28-year-old is being lined up as a direct replacement for Ezri Konsa, who is expected to complete his move to Arsenal this week.
Konsa departure confirmed as Arsenal deal nears
Arsenal have agreed a deal worth £51 million plus add-ons for Konsa, and the England international has already said his goodbyes at Bodymoor Heath. According to The Athletic, he is expected to undergo a medical on Thursday. Konsa follows Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans out of the door at Villa Park, leaving Unai Emery's side in need of defensive reinforcements.
With the transfer window closing on September 1 and Villa's Premier League opener against Brighton at the AMEX just four days away, the Midlands club are moving quickly to finalise their defensive plans. As per Sky Sports, Emery's side are keen to explore a deal for Adarabioyo, who has struggled for regular minutes since arriving in west London two years ago.
Chelsea's stance on Tosin Adarabioyo
Should Villa choose to push ahead with a formal approach, they will be encouraged by Chelsea's position. The defender has been placed on a list of potential departures and is part of a group of up to 12 players training separately at Cobham. Adarabioyo has even been shifted from the No.4 shirt to No.38, signalling his diminished status under new Blues boss Xabi Alonso.
While no formal approach has been made, Adarabioyo is among several options Villa are considering to replace Konsa. Chelsea are open to offloading the defender, although his valuation remains unclear. He has been working alongside Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk as the club searches for solutions to streamline its squad.
Villa's defensive plans ahead of Premier League opener
New Blues boss Xabi Alonso is working closely with the club's sporting directors to reduce the size of his squad ahead of the new Premier League season. Chelsea currently have 41 first-team players listed on their website, and Adarabioyo is among those expected to depart before the window closes.
Villa have identified Adarabioyo as a candidate to fill the gap at centre-back following Konsa's impending exit. The Midlands club are acting quickly to finalise their defensive plans, with the Premier League opener against Brighton just days away.
