Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea look set to challenge each other for the signing of Tammy Abraham after the striker reportedly came to a decision over his future.
Abraham left Chelsea in August last year to join Roma. He knew he would be given few first-team opportunities amid the arrival of Romelu Lukaku and opted to go abroad to continue his development.
While Lukaku flopped at Chelsea and has since gone back to Inter Milan on loan, Abraham’s move worked wonders for him and Roma.
Jose Mourinho soon discovered how to get the best out of Abraham and this saw him register 27 goals during his debut season at the Stadio Olimpico. Nine of these goals came in the Europa Conference League as Roma won the inaugural competition.
Abraham has had to overcome a shoulder injury already this campaign. And he is yet to replicate his previous form, having found the net just twice so far.
But his recent goal in Roma’s 2-1 victory over Empoli gave the club’s supporters and coaches hope that Abraham might be about to turn the corner.
Striker could come back to England
The 24-year-old has been regularly linked with a Premier League return since going to Italy. Chelsea have a buy-back clause worth double the £34million Roma paid for him in 2021.
Manchester United have set their sights on Abraham as a potential successor to Cristiano Ronaldo. Arsenal, meanwhile, have previously looked into signing him after losing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.
In late July, Abraham made it clear he was hoping to remain in Serie A for a decent amount of time. The star said: “The first day I arrived at Roma I felt at home.
“I’m in no hurry to get back to the Premier League because I can express my way of playing here. In Italy I feel happy in every respect.
“Believe me, I am not thinking of the future, but only about the present. I focus exclusively on the season that is about to begin, because I want it to be even more rewarding than the first I experienced in Italy.”
Tammy Abraham completes U-turn on future
However, Sport Witness cite a new report from Corriere dello Sport and claim Abraham has changed his mind.
He is thoroughly enjoying his time on the continent but doesn’t view his long-term future as being in Italy.
Instead, the 11-cap England international is eyeing a return to the Prem at some point in the near future.
His main drive for getting back among the goals is to impress potential suitors Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea. The report doesn’t mention it, but another important factor to consider must be Abraham’s potential place in the England World Cup squad.
Abraham’s departure would be a major blow for Mourinho and Roma. Last season, he proved himself to be one of their most integral stars alongside Nicolo Zaniolo and Lorenzo Pellegrini.
However, Roma chiefs know they can make an easy profit when selling Tammy Abraham. After buying him for £34m, they could sell him back to Chelsea for £68m.
If Chelsea pass up on the buy-back option, then Roma might be able to hold out for even more money when agreeing a deal with Man Utd or Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Man Utd are ready to let a stalwart move on next summer