Arsenal will need to fork out nearly £70million if they are to sign Roma striker Tammy Abraham this summer, according to reports.
Abraham only left the Premier League last summer, leaving Chelsea to link up with Jose Mourinho at the Stadio Olimpico. And the England international has already made himself a fan favourite with the Giallorossi, scoring 24 times, including 15 in Serie A.
That prolific form has seen him break a record previously held by iconic strikers Gabriel Batistuta and Vincenzo Montella. Both managed to net 21 goals in their maiden season at Roma, a tally which Abraham has comfortably beaten.
His performances have made the £34m Roma forked out for his services less than a year ago look like a snip and they are now demanding double that amount to any prospective suitors.
Football.London report that bosses at Roma have slapped an €80m price tag on his head, the same value of the buyback clause Chelsea inserted into the deal which saw him leave Stamford Bridge. It is understood that Abraham is firmly on the Gunners’ radar, with signing a new striker the top priority for Mikel Arteta this summer.
The Arsenal boss will be in the market after making the bold decision to allow Pierre-Emerick Aubaemyang to leave in January, while Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are out of contract at the end of the season. Having spent £150m on six players last summer, this year promises to be a more concentrated effort on signing high quality players that can help bridge the gap between them and the three sides directly above them.
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"The budget we used last summer, we prefer to use it to rebalance the squad, there was no point in hiring one or two players [in January], the squad was not prepared to absorb two players, we needed to rebalance the squad," technical director Edu told ESPN Brasil. "Maybe next season we can go to one or two players.
"Today we find a much more balanced squad. Our planning has already been done, it has already reached the owners. It's a matter of step by step, how we are going to finish the season and to put in plan the planning that I'm very excited about."
Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus is a more affordable option at an estimated £35m, but with Arsenal set to prioritise players that qualify as homegrown, Abraham could be seen as equally as appealing.
And the Londoner has previously admitted that while his full thoughts are on Roma currently, he could see himself back in the Premier League in the years to come: “When I see reports linking me with other clubs it makes me feel good, it makes you feel like you’re doing something right. It’s a nice feeling seeing your name all over newspapers,” he told talkSPORT earlier this year.
“But for me it’s about focusing on doing my business here. I can keep getting linked with many clubs but who knows what the future holds? Of course I grew up in England, I’m a London boy. So maybe one day I’ll be back in the Premier League to make noise there.
“But for me right now it’s about focusing on Rome, on doing the best I can and hopefully winning these guys a trophy which they haven’t done in many years.”
