Arsenal are looking to bolster their strike force this summer and are being linked with a move for Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham.
According to the Telegraph, the Gunners are interested in signing Abraham, who is almost certain to leave Chelsea before the transfer window closes.
The England international, who is a boyhood Arsenal fan, featured regularly under Frank Lampard but struggled for game time after Thomas Tuchel took charge in January. Chelsea have slapped a £40 million price tag on the 23-year-old, who has two years left on his current contract.
Arsenal will need to offload several players if they are to free up funds for Abraham. The Gunners are willing to listen to offers for Alexandre Lacazette, while Lucas Torreira, Granit Xhaka, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah are also expected to be shipped out.
But the north London club could face competition for Abraham’s signature, with Aston Villa, Leicester City and West Ham United also interested in signing the talented youngster.
Can Tammy Abraham spark Arsenal’s top-four push?
Arsenal lacked a real goal-scoring threat last season. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang looked a pale shadow of his usual self, while Lacazette struggled to find the back of the net consistently.
Arteta’s side managed just 55 goals in the league last season, the fewest among teams that finished in the top nine. That’s an area that Arteta will need to address as he looks to guide his side back into Champions League contention.
Football rumours: Arsenal enters the race for Tammy Abraham https://t.co/jMlMn9V38F
— Indy Football (@IndyFootball) July 16, 2021
Tammy Abraham‘s arrival could certainly ease some of Arsenal’s woes going forward. The England striker finished the last two seasons as Chelsea’s top scorer. In total, he has scored 30 goals in 82 appearances in all competitions for the Blues.
He will offer an entirely new dimension to Arsenal’s attack. At 1.9metres, he is not the tallest of strikers but has the physical prowess to outjump defenders. Abraham won close to two aerial duels per game last season and he will offer Arsenal an aerial threat they have lacked in recent seasons.
He is also quick for his height and enjoys making darting runs in behind the defence. His movement in the box is top-notch. Abraham is also handy with his back to goal and can link well with his teammates.
He possesses a great engine and is a willing presser off the ball. However, he is not the greatest of finishers in one-on-one situations, but at 23, he has plenty of time to work on that aspect of his game.
If Abraham does make the move to the Emirates, he will follow in the footsteps of Petr Cech, Willian, David Luiz, and Olivier Giroud in swapping Chelsea for Arsenal.