Arsenal set for Tammy Abraham transfer blow

Arsenal are quite keen on the idea of signing a striker this summer. Few saw it as the primary area of concern this summer but issues throughout pre-season eclipsing those of last term have shifted the mood more towards that of agreement with the hierarchy.

That isn’t to say all were content with the idea of a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette strikeforce reinforced by Folarin Balogun.

Lacazette remains an Arsenal player. Barring late developments, the £50m addition will play out the fifth and final year of his contract before leaving for free, having not managed more than 14 goals in a single Premier League campaign since.

As much as he is a key figure in and around the squad, a tireless worker and a different option to the profiles of centre-forward on the books, considering the outlay it’s undeniable that his signing from Lyon has not been a success.

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Arsenal set for Tammy Abraham transfer blow as Roma agree fee to sign Chelsea striker in summer window ahead of Mikel Arteta

65 goals in 170 appearances is not worthy of the fee parted with. Not for someone who was brought in to lead the line. It even appeared as if Arsene Wenger realised this soon enough, moving on to sign Aubameyang just six months later. That total expenditure on two strikers who can’t play together. Indeed.

And as the clock ticks down on the opening day meeting with Brentford and the subsequent August 31 closure of the summer window, it looks like the pair will be sharing the mantle once more in that department.

Balogun is destined for a bright future, as is Gabriel Martinelli, yet neither look like usurping either in the pecking order for the No. 9 slot. In Martinelli’s case that’s no great concern given his efficiency out on the left.

So Arsenal had been linked with a new centre-forward; one who could take Lacazette’s place were he, and Eddie Nketiah, to be sold, and assume the responsibility from Aubameyang who is going through the worst patch of form in front of goal arguably throughout his entire career. That is a worrying sign at 32 years old.

Tammy Abraham, amid other links to Andre Silva, Lautaro Martinez and more recently Dusan Vlahovic, has been the primary target throughout. Since it emerged that there was interest from Mikel Arteta, lines of communication have been open (Chelsea are on speed dial anyway) over a potential move to his boyhood club.

All under the proviso that Lacazette and Nketiah depart this window.

Abraham has made the step up from the Championship to the Premier League, scoring 15 goals in 34 outings for the Blues following the completion of his loan at Aston Villa, which he added to with six from 12 starts last campaign before Thomas Tuchel’s arrival as manager.

However, clearly a wanted man, Arsenal may miss out.

Continued…

Roma Agree Fee for Tammy Abraham on Initial Loan Move

Jose Mourinho’s Roma, who didn’t want to up their £13m bid for Granit Xhaka, have agreed a fee with Chelsea to sign Tammy Abraham on an initial loan move with an option to buy.

The news comes via Gianluca Di Marzio and UK-based Sky Sports, with some interesting differences in the structures of the deal. Di Marzio states it will be a €5m loan fee with an option to buy for €35m at the end of the season that would be staggered, meanwhile Sky state it’s a £34m fee agreed outright. The latter could just be totalling up.

Thus, if Arteta is serious about bringing in Abraham, he’ll have to act. As per Corriere dello Sport there has been contract from Arsenal with the 23-year-old’s agent, but with Chelsea preferring to move him on abroad so as not to strengthen a rival (that’s being kind), Italy is an option.

However, the striker is yet to agree to the move. All indications are that his preference is to stay in England and given his outspoken support of Arsenal, if a deal could be struck then he would jump at the opportunity to move north.

As is still the case, nothing happens without Lacazette movement.

There could be some 3D chess at play if Arsenal convince Abraham to move to north London and then offer Lacazette over to Roma, who’ve held previous interest, but given the Italian side moved on from Xhaka due to his age and wage demands there is little reason to think they won’t do likewise on this occasion.

It’d be a long shot.

Whatever the case, the interest in Abraham from Arsenal is serious so it wouldn’t be any major surprise for the Chelsea forward to be sitting on his hands and waiting for the inevitable Lacazette exit rumours to crop up. Some Gunners fans may be doing likewise.