Chelsea continues its savvy business with striker sale

A matter of weeks ago, Chelsea fans all over social media were dragging Marina Granovskaia’s name through the mud. The Blues hadn’t purchased anyone except for Marcus Bettinelli to that point and they’d sold a number of promising young prospects. Supporters directed their anger at the team’s director, who—unbeknownst to them—was working in the shadows to improve the squad in a number of ways.

First, while the club may eventually come to regret the outgoing youngsters, Trevoh Chalobah’s recent performances have grabbed headlines as of late. It seems as if another academy graduate has forced his way into the side and calmed the nerves of fans. The other thing contributing to the muting of the moaning supporters is Chelsea’s purchase of Romelu Lukaku. The striker returned to Stamford Bridge recently for a club record fee from Inter Milan. Unfortunately this meant the Blues needed to clear space in the squad for the Belgian and they did so by shipping another striker to Serie A.

Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham is on the way to Roma on a five-year deal.

Tammy Abraham essentially now becomes the last piece to the triangular transfer puzzle. He becomes Edin Dzeko’s replacement in Jose Mourinho’s side; whereas Dzeko moved from Rome to Milan to cover for the loss of Lukaku. The young striker is expected to sign a five-year deal with Roma after a £34 million move from Chelsea. Abraham’s deal includes a £68 million buyback that becomes active during the summer of 2023.

In all honesty, this is best case scenario for all involved. Inter receives the finances it needs to dig itself out of a hole, Roma upgrades its striker position and Abraham gets to become a talisman for a major European side. As for the Blues, they also boosted their production from the front line with the arrival of Lukaku and for all intents and purposes, it didn’t cost them a thing. Abraham’s sale inches Chelsea closer toward the £100 million in sales mark, effectively cancelling out the cost required to bring a world class No. 9 in Lukaku to the club. If this wasn’t enough to convince you Granovskaia made out a bandit in the grand scheme of things, the Blues were also able to send Abraham abroad, as opposed to a direct rival like Arsenal or West Ham.

Chelsea has taken what seemed to be another poor summer by the board and turned it into an incredible last month. Anticipated sales of players such as Michy Batshuayi, Ike Ugbo, Ross Barkley and others will also see the Blues rack up some more money. After the opening match of the Premier League season revealed a lack of proper depth in midfield behind the three mainstays (N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic), it’d be a surprise to see Chelsea pack things up and call it a window. The Blues are expected to pursue Jules Kounde and/or a midfield target in the coming weeks. There’s no question now that they have the proper funds to facilitate such a move.

While I believe I speak for all Chelsea fans when I say the Blues have done some great business thus far, the feeling around Abraham’s permanent departure is one of sadness. The buyback clause does its part in alleviating this sorrow to a degree though. The Pride of London would like to thank Abraham for his years of service to the club and wish him all of the best at Roma.

What do you think of the business Chelsea has done so far this window? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!