Chelsea have long been cursed with the lack of a striker in their team who can score regularly to lead their attack. The striker duo of Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner too yielded just 38 goals altogether over the course of last two seasons at Stamford Bridge. Both left this summer, as Lukaku rejoined Inter on loan, and Werner went back to RB Leipzig on a permanent deal. The Blues brought in Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, and kept loan returnee Armando Broja in their ranks.
However, both seem to be underperforming as well with new boss Graham Potter eager to solve his striker issues. While the 21-year-old Armando Broja does seem a promising talent, he still needs some polishing in order to compete at the highest level. Chelsea as a result, are considering a move for their former star Tammy Abraham who switched sides with AS Roma last summer for €40 million after lack of regular game-time at Stamford Bridge.
The former Chelsea striker’s €80 million buy-back clause kicks in next summer
Tammy Abraham is a product of Chelsea’s famous academy which has produced the likes of Mason Mount, Reece James, Armando Broja, Fikayo Tomori, Billy Gilmour in recent years. Tammy enjoyed surplus game time under former manager Frank Lampard at Chelsea, scoring 30 goals in 82 games for the club. However, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz’s signing, and a managerial change which saw Thomas Tuchel take over the reigns resulted in the 24-year-old often being left out on the bench.
Despite a prolific start to his career at Stamford Bridge, Tammy Abraham left last summer for Roma where he has so far enjoyed his stint. The striker scored 27 goals in 53 appearances in his debut season with the Italian side, also helping them to the inaugural UEFA Conference League triumph. Tammy has become a key part of Jose Mourinho’s project at Roma, and has apparently enjoyed playing under the former Chelsea manager.
On the other hand, Chelsea are already planning of bringing their boy back next summer, when a €80 million buy-back clause inserted in his contract kicks in. The Blues might have sold their talent for €40 million last summer, they were clever enough to include a buy-back clause, however double the price of his sale. But transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the operation of bringing back Tammy is easier said than done. He said, in his column for Caught Offside:
“Yes, it’s true that Chelsea have €80m buy-back clause for Tammy Abraham next summer, but again, Tammy is happy at Roma right now, and there are no talks or negotiations with any clubs. It’s really important to mention that he’s happy there with Jose Mourinho as manager now – the Portuguese has given him a chance to shine, and it’s been an important step for him in his career; so we will see in the next months or years about a Premier League return.”
As the Italian states, Tammy has been a happy soul at Roma and is really flourishing under Mourinho. His progress landed him a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, and some brilliant displays in the next 8 weeks’ time could certainly guarantee him a World Cup ticket with the Three Lions. The striker too has reiterated time and time again that he really is content with his Roma transfer which has instilled new life into his ailing career.
Tammy Abraham is the last Chelsea striker who netted in double figures in the Premier League for the club, scoring 15 goals in 34 games during the 2019/20 season. There is no doubt that the England is an asset in the Premier League and bolster Graham Potter’s team. But at the moment his willingness to leave Roma is seen nowhere and moreover, after the case of Lukaku, Tammy would certainly think twice before rejoining Chelsea.