Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso is reportedly planning to keep defender Tosin Adarabioyo for the upcoming season, a move that has to be a total head-scratcher for anyone who watched him play last year. Most folks expected the Blues to cut ties with the English star this summer, so this news, per the Daily Mail, is a legitimate shocker.
Last Season’s Struggles Were Hard to Ignore
Adarabioyo was brought to Stamford Bridge last summer to be a calming, experienced, and authoritative presence in the backline. Instead, he just struggled. Seriously struggled. He started only eight Premier League games out of his 16 appearances for Chelsea, and honestly, the dude looked calamitous sometimes. Yeah, the stats show he won 71 percent of his aerial duels and 68 percent of his ground duels, which sounds okay on paper, but those numbers didn’t translate to reliable play. He was just plain poor at the basics. Throughout the season, the 28-year-old looked short on pace, lacked composure, and couldn’t find consistency, which is brutal for a club with Chelsea’s ambitions. Too often, he was caught out of position, got absolutely hammered under pressure, and didn’t inspire confidence in anyone around him. Let’s be real, a lot of Chelsea defenders didn’t cover themselves in glory, but Adarabioyo was without a doubt one of the worst in the bunch.
Alonso’s Big Gamble and a Concerning Pattern
So for Alonso to double down and believe Adarabioyo can suddenly become a dependable rock at the heart of Chelsea’s defense? That’s a significant gamble, straight up. Experience is cool and all, especially in a young squad, but it means nothing if the performances aren’t there. And this decision just feeds into a concerning pattern we’re seeing. It looks like Joe Shields’ ex-Manchester City players are getting shielded, while other guys who actually performed better are getting sold. Alejandro Garnacho was miles better than Jamie Gittens, yet Garnacho is on the market while the Englishman gets another chance. Romeo Lavia hasn’t even completed 90 minutes for Chelsea, but Andrey Santos is being sold ahead of him. Even Trevoh Chalobah, who came from Cobham and was mildly better than Adarabioyo, is getting pushed out. This whole situation is just confusing, and frankly, a bit alarming.
Every player deserves a chance to improve under a new manager, but Chelsea needs defenders who can challenge for major honors immediately. Adarabioyo might be “special” on his day, but he definitely hasn’t shown it for the West London outfit yet. Unless he produces a dramatic turnaround, the Blues would be far smarter to strengthen that position with a clear upgrade before the transfer window closes. Their season might just depend on it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply