Tammy Abraham may return to Chelsea in swap deal
Tammy Abraham could make a sensational return to Chelsea after three years at Roma as part of a swap deal for loanee Romelu Lukaku, according to reports.
The academy star moved to the Eternal City following the appointment of former Chelsea head coach Jose Mourinho, and quickly blossomed away from Stamford Bridge.
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Abraham was instrumental in Roma’s first Europa Conference League win and became the first English player to score more than ten goals in a single Serie A season for over 30 years.
His second season was a little more uneven and the 25-year-old suffered a disastrous end to his season when he suffered a tear to his anterior cruciate ligament on the final matchday of the season.
After a tumultuous transfer window that saw potential moves to Inter Milan and Juventus fall through, Lukaku was called upon to provide cover in the Englishman’s absence
But according to Calcio MercatoIf the Belgian striker continues his rich run of form, it could be Abraham who returns to west London at the end of the season.
The 30-year-old has had a blistering start to his time in the capital, scoring three goals in four games, including the winner in Roma’s 2-1 victory over Sheriff Tiraspol in their Europa League opener.
Lukaku has reunited with his former Manchester United boss and has quickly built a successful partnership with Paulo Dyabala. It appears he has cemented his place in the starting lineup
Should Lukaku continue to impress in a display of the form that earned him a record-breaking £97.5million move to Chelsea in 2021, Roma’s owners, the Friedkins, will be happy to keep both the forward and Mourinho – whose contract expires – want to commit. from the season – to longer-term deals.
It is believed the goal will earn a place in next season’s Champions League draw after successfully climbing through the ranks of UEFA’s other major competitions.
Roma are currently in thirteenth place in Serie A, after a difficult start to the season.
Abraham would likely fall out of favour, and Roma would be keen to use the former Chelsea player as a bargaining chip to finally get Lukaku over the line.
But the player should be able to leave Mourinho’s starting line-up from late November or early December, based on a provisional recovery schedule for his injured cruciate ligament.
Success could force Roma to scrap the idea, or increase Chelsea’s desire for their former player.
Ex-director Marina Granovskaia included a £69.4 million buy-back clause in Abraham’s contract upon his departure from Chelsea, which could in turn help any potential deal get over the line.