Chelsea transfer news: sister club Strasbourg eye Blues centre-back

Chelsea's Tosin Adarabioyo has emerged as a target for Strasbourg, who are stepping up their search for a new centre-back before the end of the summer transfer window.

Having already brought in five new players under the guidance of Portuguese boss Hugo Oliveira, Strasbourg have still not settled on a solution for one of their three priorities in this second phase of the transfer window. The Ligue 1 club want to bring in a new centre-back before 1 September.

Keen to take advantage of their close relationship with Chelsea, given that the two clubs share the same owner, BlueCo, and that a new shas already been sourced from the English side, Strasbourg appear open to welcoming another player from the west London club.

Strasbourg eye Tosin Adarabioyo loan

According to information relayed on Sunday by Alsa'Sports, Strasbourg are working on a deal for Tosin Adarabioyo.

The 28-year-old England centre-back has been at Chelsea since the summer of 2024, when he joined as a free agent from Fulham, and has since made 70 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals.

During the 2025-26 season, the former Cottagers man featured in 29 matches, though his playing time was limited in the club's biggest fixtures.

Counting only Premier League and Champions League games, Tosin Adarabioyo started just 11 matches last season. Having featured in every match of the earlier rounds, he was left out entirely for Chelsea's FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City (0-1), a sign of the club's limited faith in him.

Could Tosin Adarabioyo join Strasbourg on loan?

While Chelsea have since changed manager, with Xabi Alonso replacing Enzo Maresca in the dugout, the intense competition for places at centre-back could still push the club towards letting Adarabioyo leave.

UEFA Conference League winner in 2025, Tosin Adarabioyo has plenty of European experience, with eight Champions League appearances to his name, but would that really be of much use to Strasbourg, who finished eighth in Ligue 1 last season and will not play any European football in 2026-27?

Under contract until June 2028, Tosin Adarabioyo currently carries a market value of £13.6m.

While it seems unlikely that Strasbourg would break the bank for the defender, even if the interest is confirmed, a 12-month loan without an option to buy looks like the most realistic outcome should talks between the two parties suddenly gather pace.