Exclusive: Nigeria Renew Efforts to Secure Chelsea's Tosin Adarabioyo with London Meeting Scheduled

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is preparing to make another concerted effort to convince Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo to commit his international future to the Super Eagles.

Born in England to Nigerian parents, Adarabioyo remains eligible to represent both England and Nigeria. 

Despite representing England at various youth levels, his last appearance came nearly nine years ago with the U-19s, and he has yet to debut for the senior national team.

Previous Approaches and Renewed Interest

The 26-year-old centre-back has long been on the NFF’s radar. In 2023, former Super Eagles head coach José Peseiro held discussions with the player, who at the time requested more time to make his decision. 

Prior to that, former interim coach Austin Eguavoen also met with Adarabioyo at Craven Cottage in December 2022 during his spell at Fulham.

With the recent appointment of Eric Chelle as head coach, the NFF is set to rekindle interest and initiate another round of talks with Adarabioyo. 

Sources from the Nigerian FF told SportsBoom that a meeting has been scheduled for the end of the European football season, to be held in London.

Chelle Sees Adarabioyo as Key to Defensive Future

Coach Chelle is reportedly a strong admirer of Adarabioyo and views him as a natural successor to aging Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong. 

Standing at 1.96 meters, Adarabioyo is known for his aerial dominance, calmness on the ball, and tactical awareness — qualities that Nigeria sees as vital to bolstering a defense that has often lacked consistency in recent years.

Unity Cup Opportunity and England Snub

The timing of the renewed talks coincides with Nigeria’s participation in the 2025 Unity Cup, set to take place at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium in May. 

The tournament will feature Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago — and the NFF plans to use the opportunity to engage with Adarabioyo during his off-season.

Their renewed efforts come amid growing optimism, especially after England’s new manager Thomas Tuchel overlooked Adarabioyo for the March international window, instead handing debuts to Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly and Newcastle’s Dan Burn.

Track Record of Successful Recruitment

Although Nigeria has missed out on high-profile names such as Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, Folarin Balogun, and Bukayo Saka, the NFF has successfully secured the commitments of several Premier League talents. These include Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, Ola Aina, and Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman — all of whom have become integral to the Super Eagles’ setup.

The NFF will hope that Adarabioyo follows a similar path and adds his quality to Nigeria’s defensive line as they continue to build for the future.