Conflicting Arsenal reports on Tammy Abraham transfer

Aren’t Arsenal supposed to be working on a deal to sign James Maddison this summer? A massive one that will force a few piggy banks to be smashed in order to secure a priority position? Well, never say they can’t multitask, which they are supposedly doing with Tammy Abraham.

Are they actually, though? This is the summer transfer window we are talking about and if someone could go ahead and invent an anti-virus type software to filter out all the speculative nonsense that would be just delightful.

Unfortunately, we have to decipher it all ourselves. It’s great fun. Sometimes. And next up on the list is Tammy Abraham, whose name has become more prominent in the Arsenal sphere in the past week.

It started with a report from The Telegraph who listed Arsenal as a side monitoring his situation at Chelsea. Monitoring, keeping an eye on, tracking progress and what have you, it’s all the same.

Conflicting Arsenal reports on Tammy Abraham transfer as Chelsea close to agreeing loan with £40m obligation to buy this summer

With a striker situation that is up in the air for as long as Alexandre Lacazette’s future remains unsolved, it’s difficult to see where a new centre-forward plays into the summer plans. Especially with four other positions in need of filling before at No. 9.

Lacazette seems like staying. Not out of Arsenal’s wishes, perhaps, but merely because no club will fork out £15m+ and take on his decent wages this summer when he can walk away for free in 12 months or leave for even less in January. European clubs simply do not have the money. It’s a huge investment, and more so for someone who is now 30 years old.

Were he to leave, however, then a call has to be made with Folarin Balogun. Regular football on a loan spell would benefit him hugely as opposed to occasional cup outings, and if so there is an opening for Abraham to come in provide a different option to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Get the salt ready, because Andy Dillon of The Sun is running an exclusive that claims Arsenal will pip Tottenham and West Ham to the post for Abraham, with an initial loan deal agreed with Chelsea that includes an obligation to buy for £40m next summer.

Loan with obligation deals between Premier League clubs are unheard of. Even loan moves with options to purchase are incredibly infrequent. Arsenal striking this deal can only be under the impression that a buyer for Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah has been found, and that Balogun will move out on loan. While you never know in the transfer season, none of this has been mentioned.

Good thing it’s been countered then.

Continued…