Tammy Abraham is reportedly close to joining Newcastle United.
Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez
Newcastle United are closing in on the signing of Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham on a season long loan deal, according to ESPN.
Abraham enjoyed a great 2016/17 season on loan at Bristol City last season, where he scored 26 goals in all competitions for the Championship club.
Former Newcastle United striker Micky Quinn says that Abraham will be a ‘massive coup’ for the club if the Magpies can agree a deal for the England Under-21 international.
Chelsea rate the player very highly and the club believe he has a big future ahead of him. The Blues want Abraham to get Premier League experience before they integrate him into the senior squad.
Quinn says that both Chelsea and Abraham recognise that Newcastle is the perfect place for the youngster to develop his game.
He is impressed with the 19-year-old’s finishing and all-round game. And believes the player can improve under the guidance of Benitez.
Bristol City’s Tammy Abraham celebrates scoring their goal
“I watched a fair bit of Abraham when he was at Bristol City last season and he scored an impressive 26 goals,” wrote Quinn in his column for The Chronicle.
“But it wasn’t just his finishing which caught my eye. He is big, powerful and has a good all-round game.
“If there’s one manager you want to nurture that talent and help get the best of him, it is Rafa. During his time at Liverpool, Real Madrid, Napoli, Inter Milan and Chelsea, Rafa worked with some of the very best strikers in the world.
“He turned Fernando Torres from a very good striker into a world-class one – and he can help Abraham progress during a season at Newcastle.”
Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham (L) in action against Celtic’s Daniel Higgins
The former Newcastle United player has left a piece of advice for Abraham. He wants the Chelsea youngster to embrace the club, and believe in himself.
“As a former Magpies striker myself, the advice I would give to Abraham himself if he does join Newcastle is to embrace it. It is a fantastic football club and it really is a striker’s dream to play in those black-and-white stripes,” he added.
“I was fortunate enough to be given the iconic No 9 shirt, but Geordies love any striker who can find the back of the net regularly.
“For many, moving up and playing in front of a packed-out St James’ Park can be daunting, but Abraham just needs to believe in himself.”
Should the deal go through, Abraham will become Newcastle’s second signing of the summer. Also, he will be become the second player to join from Chelsea after they turned Christian Atsu’s loan move into a permanent deal last month.
General view outside St James’ Park
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