Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham turned down the chance to rejoin Aston Villa during the transfer window as he wants to fight for his place at Stamford Bridge, according to the Daily Mail.
If Sunday’s 11-minute cameo against Liverpool is anything to go by, the 22-year-old Cobham graduate isn’t going to give up on his Blues career just yet.
Abraham is in danger of falling behind not only Olivier Giroud but also Timo Werner in Frank Lampard’s pecking order, while the mercurial Kai Havertz, who scored a hat-trick against Barnsley on Wednesday, produced some of his best football at Bayer Leverkusen as a ‘false nine’.
Abraham could be forgiven for upping sticks and walking away from Chelsea – especially with a lack of game time putting his place in England’s Euro 2021 squad under threat.
However, according to the Mail the four-time international rejected the opportunity to lead the line in claret and blue again.
Abraham was a revelation during his loan spell at Villa Park in 2018/19, scoring 26 times in all competitions to fire the Midlands giants back into the Premier League via a play-off final triumph over Derby County.
And with Aston Villa scouring the market for a forward capable of putting away the chances created by Jack Grealish, Connor Hourihane, Matt Targett and co, Dean Smith’s side came calling for a familiar face.
“He’s a top player and a top person. We loved having him here and playing a part in his development and you know he’ll always have a strong affinity for Aston Villa,” Smith told the Birmingham Mail last year.
But with Abraham making it clear his Villa chapter has closed, new club-record signing Ollie Watkins is beginning his own story in claret and blue.
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