Arsenal: 2 transfers to look at following Chelsea sanctions

2. Tammy Abraham – Roma

Mikel Arteta really wanted Tammy Abraham. If the club had succeeded in shifting one or both of Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette over the summer then the team everyone has been watching throughout the season would be look different.

Instead signing for Roma on a fee worth £34m – despite it being known that Abraham favoured a move to the club he’s supported as a boy – Chelsea also inserted another buyback clause in the deal, this time worth a whopping £68m. As with Livramento the clause only becomes active after two seasons, but even the slim chance of Abraham returning to Chelsea in 18 months appear dead.

However, the 24-year-old is having a fine debut season in Italy, netting 20 goals across 34 appearances, and with any possibility of a return to Chelsea dead in the water, Arteta may look into another swoop for his former target.

Roma and Arsenal are said to have good relations despite the breakdown of Granit Xhaka’s move last summer, and reports continue to claim that the Italian side will go back in for the midfielder at the end of the season. Abraham is on long contract and the £68m buyback is steep, although what is to say that Xhaka won’t be used as a makeweight?

It’s not the craziest idea in the world.