Dominic Solanke has congratulated Tosin Adarabioyo on his move to Chelsea. The 26-year-old defender recently joined the Blues on a free transfer from Fulham, signing a contract that keeps him at Stamford Bridge until June 2028.
Despite missing a large chunk of the season due to a groin injury, Adarabioyo still managed to feature 20 times for Marco Silva’s side in the Premier League last season. He played a key role in the Cottagers’ backline, helping them keep six clean sheets.
After completing his medical earlier this week, Adarabioyo penned a deal with Chelsea. To announce Enzo Maresca’s first signing, the Blues posted a video on Instagram, with the caption: “Introducing our first summer signing! [fist bump emoji].”
The post tallied almost 150,000 likes in just a few hours, as well as over 2,000 comments. Former Blues ace Nathaniel Chalobah welcomed the signing with opens arms, writing: “Tosheeeeeemmmm [clapping hands emoji].”
Solanke also showed his support for Adarabioyo. The Bournemouth striker, who first made a name for himself as an exciting prospect at the club’s Cobham training ground, wrote: “My brother!”
Interestingly, Solanke has been heavily linked with an exit from the Vitality Stadium this summer after a brilliant campaign on the south coast. The 26-year-old striker featured 38 times for the Cherries in the Premier League, scoring 19 goals – which was more than Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min.
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His impressive performances for Andoni Iraola’s side have reportedly courted the interest of some top clubs. According to talkSPORT, Solanke has a £65million release clause in his contract at Bournemouth.
The report states, however, that it’s only active for the so-called ‘big six’ clubs in the English top flight: Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham. talkSPORT add that the Blues and the Lilywhites are interested in Solanke, with Maresca and Ange Postecoglou both eager to bolster their frontlines.
Last month, Iraola told the Daily Echo that he doesn’t expect Solanke to leave the Cherries this summer. The Spaniard said: “I hope they aren’t. I hope he stays with us and plays a lot more games with us. But I don’t know what’s going to happen, not with Dom, nor with the other players.
“I hope they continue with us, especially the ones that have been more involved, have been more important, or they feel more important. But as a manager, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
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