The latest rumours circulating about a young Chelsea player do not deal with transfers or loans but with national team allegiance. If Nigeria are truly chasing Tammy Abraham, both England and Chelsea should be furious.
Tammy Abraham’s decision to play for either England or Nigeria matters deeply not only to the country he chooses, but to Chelsea FC as well. Whether you approach the question from logic or emotion, you reach the same very certain and very firm conclusion: Tammy Abraham should turn down every single advance from Nigeria and stick with England.
The first and most obvious point is that Tammy Abraham – though of Nigerian heritage – was born in Camberwell, London. He was born and raised and reared in the United Kingdom. Yes, his parents are of Nigerian heritage. But at what point does that stop mattering? Every person in the world can trace their bloodline back to some far-flung destination, yet that does not determine their nationality.
Abraham was born in London. He has been at Chelsea since he was eight years old. He did not move to England as a young boy. Tammy Abraham was born the second of October 1997 in perfect damn London, England. He is a wonderful young footballer and a funny, charming young man. He does not need to be peddled by some older, cynical managers and footballing bureaucrats in a strategic chess game of prospect-catching.
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The fact that Nigeria are even considering this is exactly what is wrong with international football in the first place. International football is not there to strategically pick your way to progress professionally, and it should not be about cynical attempts to further a brand. It is about pride in the country of your birth. Abraham is from England. Let him be from England.
It was wrong when Victor Moses changed nationalities, and when Diego Costa did it as well. This sort of behavior is to the detriment of the wonderful patriotic moments that make international football great.
If not simply for national pride, Chelsea should hope that Tammy Abraham plays for England for one simple reason: the African Cup of Nations. AFCON takes place in the middle of the Premier League season. If Tammy Abraham is going to be as good as people suspect he will be, then Chelsea need to keep him around.
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Abraham draws comparisons to Ian Wright, and in younger age group trials outshone Kylian Mbappe. Abraham will make Harry Kane look like an incomplete and poor striker in a few years’ time, while taking a legitimate shot at Chelsea’s all-time goals record. The last thing Chelsea need is Abraham gone for a month and a half during a key part of the season.
AFCON is a wonderful footballing tournament played at a hysterically terrible time of year. In many ways it devalues some of the footballers in it, and makes it harder for some clubs to invest in them. Having Abraham play for Nigeria simply lowers his value for Chelsea FC. They will not have him around as often while he increases his risk of injury by playing in a full international tournament in less-than-spectacular conditions in the middle of a Premier League and Champions League season.
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This move would not benefit anybody except the Nigerian Football Federation. Abraham is a phenomenal young player. He should be setting his sights high on success with the England national team – the country of his birth – not strategically trying to win caps playing for a country he has at most visited on emotional vacations.