Having left English football for the first time, it is fair to say that Tammy Abraham took a plunge. Having seen himself pushed down the pecking order at Chelsea, the academy striker left for Rome. Romelu Lukaku arrived from Italian football, pushing Abraham further down the list of the forwards whom Chelsea could count upon. As such, a move to Rome for a club record fee was seen as a good opportunity to turn things around. It is fair to say that it could not have gone much better.
Though Roma are not in the UEFA Champions League spots as hoped, they have improved since the turn of the year. A series of recent results culminated in a 3-0 mauling of Lazio, their eternal city rivals. Battering their rivals always feels good, but it was Abraham who was the hero as he scored a clinical brace to open and bolster the scoring.
Abraham now holds the special distinction of being the most prolific player in their debut season with Roma in club history. No player – not even Gabriel Batistuta – could outscore the Englishman. However, that success has naturally opened eyes back in England, with several big clubs linked with a move for the international striker.
Manchester United, Arsenal, and even Chelsea are all being linked with a move for Abraham this summer. However, the Roman giants have put a massive fee on the head of the player to try and ward off interest. Seen as crucial to the Jose Mourinho project, his asking price would fetch a near-national record.
How much do Roma want for Tammy Abraham?
Reports in Italy suggest that Roma have set a price as high as £100m for the striker. This would naturally put off many clubs from bidding. Only Chelsea – pending a new owner and the two Manchester clubs could dig that deep for the striker. Given Roma are keen to empty their squad this summer to make way for new signings, though, it is unlikely they would be keen to sell for any price.
Mourinho fought hard to get the deal done for Abraham, and it would likely cause some issues for the Portuguese if his star striker was sold. With talk that Nicolo Zaniolo could leave the Eternal City this summer, too, that would mean two foundational pieces being sold in the one year.
It is unlikely that Roma would commit to that. As such, the massive asking price and the desire to keep the player would make it hard for a deal to be done. Abraham himself also noted that he seemed to be loving life in Rome, despite admitting that at first he felt that it was not the correct move for him.
Now a hero of the Roma support and a record breaker, he might fancy sticking around to win silverware with the Giallorossi. Despite being a massive club, Roma have a rather bare trophy cabinet – and Abraham might not see his job as done until he changes that.
With a fee so large set, too, it looks unlikely that any deal can take place this summer.
