Long-time Chelsea player closing in on a move to Roma

Marina Granovskaia’s circus act of juggling all of the incoming and outgoing transfers has officially begun. The middle of August is one of the busiest times of the year for those in charge of personnel moves at Chelsea as the window winds down. There are three weeks left and with the addition of Romelu Lukaku, the Blues have a 43-man squad just one day before the season kicks off with the UEFA Super Cup. Suffice it to say, Granovskaia has her work cut out for her as she looks to shrink Thomas Tuchel’s squad before August 31.

The addition of the Belgian striker will get the ball rolling on a lot of other moves within the team. It’ll decide the future of a handful of players, most notably Tammy Abraham. Abraham was rumored to be involved in a triangle deal that saw Lukaku join the Blues, Duvan Zapata switch to Inter Milan and Abraham trade his current blue for the darker threads of Atalanta. However, it now seems as if the Chelsea academy graduate could be on his way to another Italian giant.

Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham is inching closer toward a move to Roma

Abraham is closing in on a move to Roma. The two sides have agreed to a deal in principle and the only business that needs sorting is personal terms with the player, according to Italian source Gianluca Di Marzio. The transfer–should the 23-year-old OK the move—looks to be an initial loan deal with a fee of €5 million. In addition to the up front fee, the Blues will be getting their asking price of €35-40 million via either an obligation or option to buy at the end of the season.

While this is not the transfer triangle originally speculated, it’s still a similar sort of move. Inter identified Roma striker Edin Dzeko as its next target and is currently working on completing that transfer after selling Lukaku to Chelsea. I Giallorossi are being patient with Abraham as they will wait until Thursday or Friday for his decision. If Roma does manage to secure Abraham’s services, it is getting a much younger striker for a great price. Former Blues boss Jose Mourinho was named manager of Roma earlier this year. The Special One will be familiar with Abraham from his time as Spurs boss and a pundit. The two never crossed paths officially at Cobham though, with Abraham getting his senior debut for Chelsea under Guus Hiddink just a little while after Mourinho’s second spell in west London.

All things considered, this would be a fantastic move for the Blues outcast. Tuchel clearly has other plans up top and as much as the long-time Chelsea man probably wants to remain in SW6, he needs minutes to continue his development. Mourinho would be the most experienced manager Abraham will have worked with to date. Given the wonders he performed on Harry Kane just last season (England’s No. 9 won the Golden Boot and Playmaker award), Abraham should be encouraged by the thought of being sought out by the Portuguese manager.

There is still a long way to go in this saga as Atalanta and Arsenal remain in the race. Abraham’s ideal destination is likely the Emirates given his childhood Gunners fandom and the fact that he wouldn’t have to move. There is a sense that Arsenal simply doesn’t have the cash to spend right now though as they’re focused on a midfielder. In the end, the decision lies with the 23-year-old and his agent. The Blues would be better off sending him abroad though as there’s little doubt he’ll turn into a star when handed playing time.

Where do you think Abraham ends up? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!