Tammy Abraham's ideal next club is obvious amid West Ham, Spurs & Aston Villa transfer interest
Roma’s Tammy Abraham has been linked with a move back to the Premier League - but where should he go?
Can Tammy Abraham bounce back once again? West Ham, Spurs & Aston Villa may be about to find out
Tammy Abraham is no stranger to battling though setbacks. He’s been written off only for his form to surge before in his career, after all – but now, as he contemplates the possibility of leaving AS Roma after an injury-ravaged campaign, he might face his steepest uphill battle yet.
Abraham suffered a cruciate ligament injury before the start of the 2023/24 season which sidelined him right the way through until April, and he was afforded just three starts after his return, scoring once against in a 2-2 draw against Napoli but otherwise left with little more than cameos as Roma crawled towards a sixth-placed finish for the third consecutive season. With two years left on his deal, a new manager at the helm and his place far from assured, it looks increasingly likely that he will leave the Italian capital – and West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa have all been linked with him in a report by The Daily Telegraph. Does he have another comeback in him?
Abraham was written off after a disappointing 2020/21 season, when he followed a 15-goal season with just six strikes for Chelsea, but was superb for Roma after leaving London, scoring 17 in 2021/22 and earning a recall to the England squad. He remained a regular under José Mourinho but between that brutal injury and a downturn in form, it looks as though new coach Daniele De Rossi has less use for him.
But as the 26-year-old has demonstrated in the past, he has the mental resilience to come good again and again, and he remains a technically-impressive, tricksy, hard-working and speedy player who has demonstrated that he can net double-figure hauls at the top level. Now he seems to have several options as he looks to reaffirm his quality once more.
Aston Villa, according to the Telegraph, are only really likely to make a formal offer for him if Jhon Durán ends up leaving for Chelsea – in other words, Abraham would be a back-up for Ollie Watkins if required and little more. He may well not fancy the notion of playing second fiddle to someone else, but the opportunity to play Champions League football once more could have plenty of appeal.
And if he’s up for the challenge of unseating Watkins, Villa’s playing style under Unai Emery should play to Abraham’s strengths – namely his direct running and his ability to play off the last man and beat offside traps with his darting runs. His qualities line up very closely with those of Watkins, and he would be a natural fit for the team. The only problem is that trying to take a place from a man who has just enjoyed a 27-goal season sounds like a pretty tough gig to take on.
Spurs, meanwhile, “have not yet made a firm decision” on whether to make an offer to Abraham, and it seems unlikely that he would be the first choice given the wide array of forwards the club have been linked with in recent weeks. But again, his quick movement and exceptional work ethic mean that he would likely fit nicely into Ange Postecoglou’s scheme, and he may not have such stern competition as he would at Villa Park.
The article doesn’t elucidate on the extent of West Ham’s interest. They are known to be keen to add some striking options with Michail Antonio and Danny Ings ageing and surplus to immediate requirements, while new coach Julen Lopetegui may well want some added mobility up front, but it isn’t clear that Abraham is considered a top option.
Without knowing precisely what Lopetegui intends to do with his attack, it’s hard to say whether he would be the kind of player they need. Depending on the Spaniard’s viewpoint, he may see Abraham’s ability to run the channels as a means to operate a fluid front line alongside Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus – or he may want a genuine target man who can operate the hold-up role to offer Bowen and Kudus a fulcrum around which to play.
If West Ham do make a move, however, they would likely represent his best chance at getting regular first-team football. He’s a nice fit for Villa, but there have been few indications that Watkins is ready to relinquish his place at the top of the pecking order. Spurs may work out well, but there is a fair degree of uncertainty over who he would be up against for a starting spot. West Ham, meanwhile, would give him every chance to thrive.
The Telegraph allude to the possibility of interest from elsewhere in Europe as well, and Abraham may have many options as the summer progresses – that ACL injury may put some potential suitors off, of course, but any side that wants a nimble forward who can score goals and dance around defenders should at least consider him as an option. Another chance to prove his doubters in the Premier League wrong would be nothing if not poetic, however. Betting against Abraham has never been a profitable proposition in the long run, after all.