Tosin Adarabioyo: Why Super Eagles-Eligible Defender Failed at Manchester City

• Tosin Adarabioyo struggled to break into Manchester City’s first team under Pep Guardiola
• The Nigeria-eligible defender revived his career after leaving Manchester City for Fulham in 2020
• Nigeria continues efforts to convince the 28-year-old defender to represent the Super Eagles internationally

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Tosin Adarabioyo’s time at Manchester City was not one of his best in his career after he failed to establish himself in the first team despite rising through the club’s academy as one of its brightest prospects.

The 28-year-old defender joined Manchester City’s youth system at just five years old and progressed through every level of the academy.

However, despite his promise and regular training sessions with the senior squad under Pep Guardiola, Adarabioyo, as seen on Transfermarkt, managed only eight senior appearances before deciding to leave the club in search of regular playing time.

Today, the England-born defender has rebuilt his career and is now an important figure at Chelsea, while also attracting attention from the Nigeria national football team.

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Why Adarabioyo struggled at Man City

Adarabioyo was regarded as one of Manchester City’s most promising academy graduates during his teenage years.

Having spent more than a decade developing at the club, he quickly progressed through the youth ranks and became a standout performer for the U18 and U23 teams.

Arabioyo’s impressive development even earned him opportunities to train regularly with the first team. At the time, Guardiola reportedly admired the defender’s physical presence and composure with the ball.

Despite these qualities, competition within the Manchester City squad proved intense, with players like Vincent Kompany leading the defence.

As a result, Adarabioyo’s appearances for the first team remained scarce, forcing the young defender to reconsider his future at the club he had called home since childhood.

Fulham move revived Adarabioyo’s career

In 2020, Adarabioyo made the difficult decision to leave Manchester City permanently in a £2 million transfer to Fulham. The move proved to be a turning point in his professional career.

At Fulham, the Nigeria-eligible defender quickly became a key member of the squad and established himself as one of the club’s most reliable performers.

Adarabioyo’s leadership and defensive stability helped the team during their successful push in the 2021–22 season, which ended with Fulham winning the EFL Championship title.

During his time at Craven Cottage, Adarabioyo made 132 appearances and built a strong reputation as a dependable centre-back in English football.

The consistent playing time allowed him to fully develop his game and regain the momentum that had stalled during his years at Manchester City.

Chelsea rise and Nigeria interest

Adarabioyo’s impressive performances eventually earned him a high-profile move to Chelsea in July 2024 on a free transfer, per Fotmob.

Since arriving at Stamford Bridge, the 28-year-old defender has continued to add silverware to his career, helping the Blues win the UEFA Europa Conference League and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Adarabioyo’s growing reputation in European football has also caught the attention of the Nigeria Football Federation, which is eager to convince the defender to represent the Super Eagles at international level.

Although he remains eligible to play for Nigeria, Adarabioyo has yet to make a final decision regarding his international future.

Adarabioyo receives condition to play for Nigeria

In a related development, Legit.ng reported that Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has reportedly given Adarabioyo a single condition for him to play for the Nigerian national team.

Adarabioyo has been on the radar of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for many years over a potential switch to represent the Super Eagles.