Tammy Abraham admits that Arsenal wanted to sign him last summer amid reports linking the Roma striker with a return to the Premier League, speaking to The Athletic.
Not so long ago, English footballers plying their trade on the continent were about as rare as hens’ teeth. But gone are the days when Owen Hargreaves, then of Bayern Munich, was the only non-Prem member of the Three Lions squad.
These days, you’ve got Fikayo Tomori at AC Milan. Jude Bellingham at Borussia Dortmund. The most prolific English goalscorer anywhere in the game right now, meanwhile, is strutting his stuff in Rome, rather than London, Manchester or Liverpool.
Abraham’s debut season at the Stadio Olimpico has been a resounding success. In 46 games, he’s scored 24 goals – two more than Harry Kane has managed at Tottenham Hotspur.
As a result, the Arsenal-supporting Abraham has emerged as one of the Gunners’ top targets – alongside Gabriel Jesus, Victor Osimhen, Alexander Isak and Dominic Calvert-Lewin – as Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar step up their pursuit of a number nine capable of emulating Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s influence at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal will have little choice but to put their money where their mouth is, however. Roma want £70 million for a player the London giants could have signed for 50 per cent less nearly 12 months ago (FL).
Tammy Abraham to join his boyhood club?
“Yeah, I had a few (offers last summer),” says the former Aston Villa and Bristol City loanee. “The Arsenal one got out (in the public domain) and there were other clubs as well.
“But it’s never black and white and just speaking to (Jose) Mourinho and Roma and the sporting director, they had an ambition and an aim. They wanted the club to reach certain targets.
“They hadn’t won a trophy for a while and they hadn’t done as well in the league as they would have wanted.”
With Roma going head to head with Leicester City in the UEFA Conference League semi-finals, the Giallorrosi could still end Mourinho’s maiden campaign with their first piece of silverware since the 2008 Coppa Italia.
“It was about seeing a vision and… how can I put it? It’s just like what Newcastle (United) are doing: building again,” Abraham adds.
“I could see where Mourinho wanted me to be and he believed in me. This was the best place for me. Thank God I’ve done it.”
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