Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo has dismissed reports suggesting he rejected a call-up to represent Nigeria, stating emphatically that he has never turned down the opportunity to play for the Super Eagles.
The 27-year-old centre-back made the clarification in a post-match interview after Chelsea’s 4–1 win over Real Betis in the UEFA Europa Conference League final. Addressing growing speculation about his international future, Adarabioyo said previous claims about his stance were inaccurate.
“Both of those pieces of news are pretty false. I’ve never turned down Nigeria. And I’ve never had any conversations with them to say that I’ll be going to Nigeria,” he said.
The former Fulham defender, who joined Chelsea at the start of the season, explained that his focus in recent years had been on securing his club career. He noted that during his final season at Fulham, there were informal conversations, but no formal decision was made regarding international commitments.
“At the point of last season where there was a little bit of conversation, I told them I just want to focus on club football. I was in my last year at Fulham and I just wanted to have a solid running at Fulham. Now I’m at Chelsea. My first year, which I wanted to concentrate on again,” he explained.
Adarabioyo, who has represented England at youth levels and is also eligible to play for Nigeria through his parents, hinted that a decision regarding his international allegiance could be imminent.
“And I think now is going to be the time that I need to make a decision,” he added.
The player’s statement comes amid ongoing interest from Nigerian football authorities to recruit eligible diaspora talents to strengthen the national team ahead of major competitions.
