Arsenal planning £50m bid for Tammy Abraham

Arsenal could make a £50 million bid for Roma striker Tammy Abraham if they secure qualification for the Champions League, Daily Star reports.

The Gunners were looking into a deal for the former Chelsea man last summer, but were beaten to his services by Roma, who offered a lucrative wage package and guaranteed playing time.

The north London club had Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to lead the line back then. The Gabon international has since been allowed to leave on a free transfer to Barcelona.

Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are currently the senior striker options, but there is the prospect of both leaving on free transfers when their contracts expire on June 30.

Amidst this, Abraham appears back on the radar of the Gunners. The striker has been in superb form for the Giallorossi this campaign, bagging 24 goals and five assists from 46 outings.

He is currently content with the proceedings in Rome, but is not averse to the idea of returning to the Premier League and London to reunite with his family and friends next season.

Roma signed Abraham for £34 million last summer from Chelsea, but the Blues have the option of buying him back for double the figure (£68m) at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

However, there are no assurances from the Blues at the moment, particularly with a takeover anticipated, and this could boost the Gunners’ prospects of landing his signature.

It remains to be seen whether the Giallorossi are tempted by a £50m transfer package.

The deal could largely depend on Champions League qualification for Arsenal, considering Roma appear on course to miss out on qualifying for the competition next season.

Abraham still has plenty to prove in the Premier League. He netted 15 goals during his breakthrough campaign for Chelsea in 2019/2020, but struggled in the next.

He managed just six league goals during the 2020/21 campaign, but it was partly contributed by manager Thomas Tuchel, who barely played him over the final months.

Roma took the chance with him last summer which has paid dividends, but we have seen Romelu Lukaku netting 30 goals for Inter only to struggle on his Premier League return.

Abraham could suffer a similar fate on his comeback. The Gunners have made some smart signings over the past 18 months, and need to be wary of such a situation.