AS Roma join Tammy Abraham race; Chelsea out on Erling Haaland — reports

Despite leading the team in goal-scoring in the last two seasons, it seems highly likely that Tammy Abraham will not be a Chelsea player beyond this season. As to why he’s been so shunned by Thomas Tuchel remains a mystery, but the situation doesn’t look to be improving anytime soon.

Several teams in England have already been linked with the 23-year-old in recent weeks and months, and now, according to a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), we can add AS Roma to that list of potential suitors. Roma, who finished all the way down in seventh this season, and behind bitter rivals Lazio as well — but still high enough to qualify for the newfangled UEFA Conference League — have already made a notable signing by appointing our old friend José Mourinho to replace Paulo Fonseca at the helm.

Mourinho’s Chelsea links would undoubtedly give them an advantage, though whether Tammy would be interested in going to Italy like fellow Chelsea Academy graduate Fikayo Tomori is a different question. La Gazzetta claims Mourinho knows Abraham “well”, though it was Guus Hiddink who gave the young striker his debut towards the tail end of Mourinho’s disasterous last season at Chelsea in 2015-16.

With Abraham and Olivier Giroud both leaving, probably, Chelsea will continue to be linked with center forwards as well, though the trail has gone cold on our previously reported primary target. Since Borussia Dortmund have successfully qualified for next season’s Champions League, Erling Braut Haaland is not expected to be leaving this summer — regardless of Mino Raiola’s machinations.

According to The Athletic, Chelsea have stopped our pursuit of the 20-year-old, while the other big name recently in the news, Harry Kane, is even more of a non-starter as far as potential signings are concerned.

That leaves Romelu Lukaku as the only genuine contender to upgrade the position. However, should Inter refuse to sell Lukaku (and/or if Antonio Conte stayed with the team), the situation could get really interesting. Do we go for a less prolific striker, or do we try and solve our creativity issues by contemplating a move for Eden Hazard (ed.note: LOL) or Jadon Sancho — who supposedly will be allowed to leave Borussia Dortmund after the European Championships?

Decisions, decisions...