Boost for Super Eagles As Chelsea Star Makes Tough Decision to Snub England for Nigeria
- Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo is set to make a decision over his international future in the coming weeks
- The former Fulham centre-back is eligible to represent England by birth and Nigeria through his parents
- Nigeria Football Federation have scheduled a new round of discussions to secure the defender for Super Eagles
Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo is reportedly set to snub England and commit his international future to Nigeria after years of reluctance.
Adarabioyo is one of the many foreign-born Nigeria-eligible players that the NFF have been courting as they continually seek to strengthen the Super Eagles squad.
Source: Getty Images
He was reportedly close to committing his future last year, but a move to Chelsea gave him cold feet, as he thought it could boost his chances of playing for England.
He is close to the end of his first season at Stamford Bridge, and despite four international breaks during that time, he has yet to receive a Three Lions call-up.
Adarabioyo set to commit to Nigeria
According to Sports Boom, Adarabioyo is on the verge of pledging his international allegiance to Nigeria and giving up on an England call-up that has refused to come.
The report added that a meeting has been scheduled with the player, coach Eric Chelle and NFF delegations at the end of the European season and will be held in London.
Chelle sees him as a vital defensive addition to the Super Eagles, and is pushing the NFF to reignite discussions with the Unity Cup and FIFA World Cup qualifier coming up.
The Manchester City academy graduate will solve a problem in the team, with captain William Troost-Ekong, Semi Ajayi and Kenneth Omeruo all nearing the end of their international careers.
He could reunite with former teammate Calvin Bassey in the heart of the Eagles' defence as Chelle braces for the overhauling of the defensive unit.
The NFF in previous attempts through Augustine Eguavoen in 2022 and Jose Peseiro in 2023 have met the defender, but the meetings were unproductive.
Adarabioyo’s performance for Chelsea
He ran down his contract at Fulham and made a switch down the road to join Chelsea as a free agent, having also had interests from Newcastle and Manchester United.
As noted by Transfermarkt, he has featured 33 times for the Blues this season across the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and UEFA Europa Conference League.
26 of his 33 appearances have come as a starter, completing the 90 minutes in 23 of those games. He has scored four goals across all competitions except the Carabao Cup, in which he played once before Chelsea were eliminated.
Source: Getty Images
Some of his performances, especially the 2-1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield, have come under scrutiny. Regardless, he has been praised for his leadership skills in the dressing room.
Nigerian journalist Ero Osaze believes Eric Chelle needs all the additions he can get to take on the task of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and Adarabioyo will be a valuable player for the team.
“Do the Super Eagles need Adarabioyo at this point? I think anything that will give Eric Chelle and Nigeria a World Cup ticket will be appreciated," he told Legit.ng.
"I feel he is finally choosing to represent Nigeria after his lengthy wait to represent England came to nothing. But, when you think about it, his quality as a defender compared to the current calibre of players the Super Eagles parade in defence is, I think, a notch higher.
“He will surely bring experience and quality to the Super Eagles. I just maybe do not like the way the rumours concerning his decision to represent Nigeria lingered. But there's no denying that his addition would be a valuable one for the Super Eagles.”
Adarabioyo addresses Nigerian roots
Legit.ng previously reported that Adarabioyo addressed his Nigerian roots during a recent interview and admitted that he was raised the Nigerian way despite being born in England.
He noted that his upbringing is different to how it is supposed to be for someone living in England, and noted that down to the food, he is truly a Nigerian.
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Source: Legit.ng
