Arsenal are no stranger to taking Chelea’s unwanted players out of their hands (sorry Gunners fans) and Tammy Abraham could be the next in line to switch Stamford Bridge to the Emirates Stadium.
David Luiz, Willian and Petr Cech have all made the short journey from west to north London in recent times, and Mikel Arteta is keen to add to that list by striking out a deal for Abraham in the coming weeks.
Tammy Abraham has become redundant at Stamford Bridge / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA / Getty Images
The Blues have struck a huge £ 40m price tag on their academy head, but would he fit in well with the Gunners and what would he give to the side?
Once described as the ‘future of Chelsea’ by former manager Antonio Conte, it is difficult to argue that Abraham has done much wrong before he was considered to be in excess of the requirements of the club.
The England international has finished the Blues’ top scorer in both of the last two seasons – despite having played a role for the majority of the 2020/21 campaign – but with Chelsea desperate to get world-class striker Erling Haaland, it’s just a case of he is not really at the level that his side is looking for.
But that is not to say that he is not a good frontman at all. Abraham’s ability to connect games with the midfield and to power the channels was an important aspect of Chelsea’s impressive first season under Frank Lampard, while he has the pace and close control to beat a man when he loses deeply.
A glimpse of the future will have lazy connoisseurs suggesting that he is just a great man who can lead the line for his team, but in fact, his course ability is probably one of the weakest aspects of his game given his height.
The 23-year-old is not the type of striker who will stick to a midfield and make sure to fight with him the whole game and shoot him over, but he tends to drop into space behind the opposition midfield in an attempt to get himself on the ball and demonstrate their technical ability.
Although this style of play would not suit some teams, if you have wide forwards with the ability to run behind – players like Bukayo Saka, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe just above our heads – Abraham’s ability to find space and connect with his teammates can be a major threat.
Part of Abraham’s game that needs to be improved is his finish. Although he has finished the last two seasons as Chelsea’s top scorer, the kid is by no means a naturally born goalkeeper, and even his best top list of 15 during the 2019/20 season saw him miss a host of easy chances.
With that said, he never looks to hide behind others and continues to get into the areas where he is most dangerous, and this is another quality attribute he can give the Arsenal team.
Of course, football players will be judged on their ability on the pitch rather than off it, but for such a young man, when Abraham talks in front of the cameras, there is a presence and maturity about him – something he shows on the pitch – and it is something like the current one. The Arsenal squad really needs.
Mikel Arteta targets Tammy Abraham / Steve Welsh / Getty Images
The Gunners have been described as weak and have been told that they have lacked leaders for a number of years, criticisms that are difficult to argue against when it is considered that the constantly hot head Granit Xhaka is one of their leaders.
Abraham’s maturity and leadership can be the key for Arsenal both on and off the pitch, and at the age of 23 he has plenty of time to develop as a player and should be able to smooth over the rough edges of his game.
Accepting that your London rivals are on a different level for your club and that you have basically just started buying all their refusals is a bitter pill to swallow, but Arsenal’s quest for Abraham should be seen as so much more than that.
Signing an England international with plenty of time to improve and develop his game should be seen as a positive move from Gunners and Abraham could be central to Arsenal’s plans for years to come.
