- Adarabioyo joined Chelsea as a free agent this summer after leaving Fulham
- The defender is already seen as a leader in Chelsea’s dressing room
- LISTEN NOW: It all starts!available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
Enzo Maresca is expected to capitalize on one of Chelsea’s bargain successes in a bid to blunt Liverpool’s attack on Sunday.
Amid Chelsea’s £1 billion-plus spend on new signings, Tosin Adarabioyo is already proving his worth to the club after joining as a free agent in the summer following his departure from Fulham.
Tracked by Liverpool, the 27-year-old even turned down a final offer from Manchester United to join Chelsea and with it the gamble of finding a regular place in their crowded squad.
Maresca knew and trusted the centre-back from their time together at Manchester City and are prepared to slot him alongside Levi Colwill to face Arne Slot’s frontline at Anfield today, with Wesley Fofana out due to suspension.
“I’m very impressed with him as I knew him at City, especially the way he behaves on and off the pitch,” Maresca said. “He’s one of the leaders in the locker room, and we’re very happy with that.”
Tosin Adarabioyo joined Chelsea on a free transfer this summer after leaving Fulham
Maresca is delighted with his impact with the defender who is seen as a leader in the dressing room
Chelsea have not conceded a single goal while Adarabioyo has been on the pitch in the competition
Statistics play a big part in the thinking at Stamford Bridge and remarkably, although his Premier League appearances have been limited, Chelsea have not conceded a single goal while Tosin has been on the pitch in the competition.
He has the highest passing accuracy, 91 percent, among Chelsea defenders, a quality that Maresca values highly. Without tempting fate, he has not dribbled past once in the Premier League or Europa Conference League, where he has played every minute.
Maresca will hope the 6ft 1in defender he considers a leader can maintain those standards again on Sunday as they look to continue their improvement.
“I think everyone knows our team is phenomenal,” Tosin said. “You can take any player, you can take any player in or out and it will still be a high level.
‘Every player strives for the top, every player strives for the best, so we have to keep striving, put in the performances every weekend and see where it takes us.’
