Arsenal were heavily linked with Tammy Abraham over the summer but ended up missing out as Chelsea sold to Roma instead.
The Gunners were linked with a number of strikers during the summer transfer window and then again in January.
We can only assume that Edu will have strikers in mind for this summer, with Arsenal in desperate need of two strikers.
A popular name last summer was Abraham, who was clearly available to sign after falling out of favour under Thomas Tuchel.
Abraham grew up loving Arsenal and allegedly told Chelsea teammates that he wanted to join the Gunners.
Yet no matter how long Abraham waited for Arsenal, the move never came. In August, Abraham decided to end dreams of a move to Arsenal and join Roma for £34million instead.
Abraham, 24, has been simply outstanding since joining Roma.
The giant striker has thrived under Jose Mourinho and made himself a Roma hero with two goals against bitter rivals Lazio on Sunday.
That’s now 15 goals in 29 Serie A games this season, as well as picking up three assists.
Arsenal would love that kind of goal output from one of their strikers, and you wonder if Abraham could have replicated this form for the Gunners.
Abraham would almost certainly cost a lot more to sign now, meaning Arsenal may have missed their window for the England man.
What may make missing out on Abraham feel even worse is that he is now earning a very lofty comparison.
Pundit Pat Nevin has told The Express that he thinks Abraham can now become the new Didier Drogba.
Nevin believes Abraham needed to work on his physicality when he left Chelsea and is finally doing that in Serie A.
Nevin thinks Drogba – a former Arsenal nemesis – is a reasonable comparison for Abraham whilst predicting a return to the Premier League one day; maybe the Gunners should keep tabs on their boyhood fan.
“This experience in Italy could really turn Tammy into the next Didier Drogba. The one thing I think that Tammy needed to work on when he left English football in the summer to go to Italy was his physicality,” said Nevin. “There was no doubt about his technical ability. That was there for everyone to see. But he needed to power himself up, make himself more physical – and I think he is doing it out there with Roma.”
“I would not be surprised if eventually Tammy wants to come back to the Premier League after this spell in Italy. And he will come back a better player and a more rounded person. He has worked under Jose Mourinho out in Rome, and most top strikers who have worked under him love him. Ask Drogba. Tammy is learning that right now.”
“He is not the same kind of player as Romelu Lukaku – who battered in the goals in Serie A just like Tammy. But I do think scoring goals is easier in Italy – which is why I think eventually, like Lukaku, Tammy will come back – to the best league. And it is so good for him that he is playing for a manager that believes in him in Mourinho – and a set of Roma fans that worship him right now. That is a huge boost for any player,” he added.
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