Chelsea centre-back, Tosin Adarabioyo, has revealed that a decision regarding his international allegiance will be made soon.
Born in England to Nigerian parents, the 27-year-old defender remains eligible to play for either nation at senior level, despite previously featuring 14 times for England at youth level.
His family relocated to Whalley Range in South Manchester during his infancy.
Adarabioyo, who recently joined Chelsea, has in the past declined an invitation from the Nigeria Football Federation. However, he has now hinted at a possible change of heart.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria, the former Manchester City defender said, “That is a question I have answered quite a bit recently, yeah, it is something that we are looking into in the future,” he stated.
“It is a conversation I want to have; we will see how that goes.”
The defender’s comments suggest that a resolution on his international future could come sooner rather than later.
Adarabioyo previously addressed the speculation surrounding his international career, insisting he has never rejected the chance to play for Nigeria and confirmed that no formal discussions had taken place with the Super Eagles.
The defender made these remarks following Chelsea’s UEFA Conference League victory, a game in which he was rested after starting in the Blues’ Premier League win over Nottingham Forest.
Now 27, the former Manchester City academy product has yet to feature for England’s senior national team, though he represented the Three Lions 14 times across the U16 to U19 categories.
This leaves him eligible to switch allegiance to Nigeria. While initial reports claimed he had rejected an invitation from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), subsequent clarifications indicated his willingness to consider playing for the West African nation.
Speaking to journalists after the final, Adarabioyo sought to clear the air, explaining that he had neither accepted nor turned down an offer from Nigeria. He emphasized that he is now ready to decide on his international future.
“Yeah, so both of those pieces of news were pretty false. I’ve never, I’ve never turned down Nigeria and I’ve never had any conversations with them to say that I will be going to Nigeria,” Adarabioyo told newsmen.
