Nicolas Jackson, Marc Cucurella reacts to Adarabioyo’s ‘see you’ Chelsea message
Tosin Adarabioyo’s message generated interest from several Chelsea stars as Enzo Maresca’s side kicked off their Club World Cup campaign in America.
The 27-year-old started alongside Levi Colwill as the Blues sealed their first victory of the tournament, with Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez scoring in the 2-0 win on Monday, 16 June.
Liam Delap and Dario Essugo both earned their debuts off the bench, while Chelsea’s exit-linked forward Christopher Nkunku was also given minutes towards the end of the game.
Of course, the game was not without its controversial moments as Reece James and Denis Bouanga clashed at half-time after Neto had laughed in his face, and Keith Hackett told Football Insider that LAFC could face a fine over Olivier Giroud’s substitution.
Although Adarabioyo picked up a yellow card, slipping into a challenge, he remained positive about his team’s chances in the out-of-season tournament as he took to social media afterwards.
Tosin Adarabioyo celebrates LAFC victory
Taking to Instagram (16 June), Adarabioyo wrote: “Off the mark with a win. See you in 3 days,” after playing the full 90 minutes at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Teammates Nicolas Jackson, Marc Cucurella, and Malo Gusto liked the post, joined by Tottenham‘s Dominic Solanke, Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters, and AC Milan’s Fikayo Tomori.
Enzo Maresca continues to rebuild Chelsea squad
Football Insider verdict
Maresca is now experiencing a positive run of games with the Blues, having previously been under serious pressure to secure Champions League football and change his playing style.
While LAFC did have multiple chances to open their goalscoring account for the Club World Cup, Robert Sanchez, who Chelsea fans are ready to part with, made a number of good saves.
There are likely to be several changes to the squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, not least with the arrivals of Delap and Essugo, and the likely departure of Nkunku.
Stefan Borson told Football Insider that Raheem Sterling could leave Chelsea for free following his disappointing loan spell with Arsenal, with Djordje Petrovic, Noni Madueke, and Jadon Sancho linked with exits.
The manager currently has a massive team at his disposal, but with the Premier League only allowing so many players in a matchday squad, the Italian will be desperate to sell some players.
Multiple high-profile exits could help the club to seal more transfers over the coming weeks this summer, which is why supporters at Stamford Bridge remain excited ahead of next season.