Arsenal are admirers of Roma striker Tammy Abraham, but sources close to the club have indicated to CaughtOffside that they do not expect him to be on the move this summer.
Abraham joined Roma from Chelsea last summer and has enjoyed a successful first season at the Stadio Olimpico, scoring 24 goals in 46 games in all competitions, and his form has attracted admiring glances from a number of Premier League clubs ahead of the summer.
CaughtOffside understands Arsenal are one of the teams monitoring Abraham’s progress, but he’s one of a long list of potential targets up front, and is considered a less realistic options than some of the other names being considered.
Sources have informed CaughtOffside that Gabriel Jesus, Darwin Nunez, Victor Osimhen, Jonathan David and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are among the names on Arsenal’s list, with key recruitment figures still assessing players ahead of eventually narrowing that list down as we get closer to the summer.
Abraham is understood to be happy at Roma and not looking for a move, though one imagines there will be growing interest in bringing him back to England in the future if he continues to impress in the Italian capital.
The 24-year-old never got much of an opportunity to play regularly at Chelsea, but it seems clear now that he could have been worth sticking with, especially as Romelu Lukaku has been so poor since moving to Stamford Bridge last summer.
Other big-money signings like Timo Werner and Kai Havertz haven’t really set the world alight either, so it will be interesting to see if Chelsea themselves perhaps look at bringing Abraham back one day.
The Blues have a buy-back clause option for the England international, but one imagines Arsenal and others will continue to offer him tempting alternatives as well.
As for Arsenal, club legend Michael Thomas spoke to CaughtOffside earlier this week about his preferred signing up front, and made it clear he was a big fan of Benfica front-man Nunez.
“Darwin Nunez has put in some really strong performances in the Champions League this year and he will be a great addition for any club,” Thomas said. “He is strong, good with his feet and has that Erling Haaland-like instinct in front of goal.
“He would be the perfect number 9 for Arsenal, but if we do not get top four then I think it will be hard to acquire him. All the top teams have now seen what he can do on the biggest stage now.”