Chelsea to make January transfer U-turn, star’s 102-pass map vs Burnley to change minds
Tosin Adarabioyo was one of the standout performers for Chelsea in their 2-0 win over Burnley on 22 November – and could have prompted a January transfer U-turn.
Chelsea managed to beat Burnley away from home as they up their title charge with London rivals Arsenal in their sights.
The victory was shrouded in minor controversy with ex-FIFA referee Keith Hackett exclusively telling Football Insider that the match official was right in not awarding Burnley a penalty for a handball by Trevoh Chalobah.
Whilst the Englishman came under scrutiny for the bizarre moment from a goal-kick, his centre-back partner Adarabioyo shone in a complete display for the Blues.
Adarabioyo delights as Enzo Maresca finds solution to centre-back woes
Despite Adarabioyo struggling against Qarabag in the Champions League on 5 November, the ex-Fulham man recovered well in an excellent performance against the Clarets.
The 28-year-old was defensively masterful, winning 10 of his 12 duels as well as making four clearances to keep Burnley out of Robert Sanchez’s goal.
Moreover, he lost possession on just nine occasions, impressive given he picked up the ball 125 times during the 90 minutes.
Most impressive of all was his pass map, courtesy of Football Insider’s data partnership with Opta, as he completed 102 of his 110 passes in the match with a 93 per cent passing accuracy.
Adding in the fact he wasn’t dribbled past at Turf Moor highlights how solid Adarabioyo was as he kept Scott Parker’s frontline at bay.
Chelsea turn to solidifying goalkeeper position with Mike Maignan transfer
With the English centre-back looking like the man to fill Levi Colwill’s void at the heart of defence, the Blues can focus on bolstering other positions in the squad.
The goalkeeping position remains a weak position, with sources telling Football Insider that Chelsea remain in the hunt for Mike Maignan.
The west London outfit had followed the Frenchman during the summer but will now be joined by Juventus in a race for his signature.
The 30-year-old is set to leave next summer on a free, opening up the possibility of AC Milan cashing in during the January transfer window.