Chelsea settle on Tammy Abraham replacement as Thomas Tuchel seeks blockbuster transfer
Chelsea: Tuchel explains why Abraham was not in squad
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Chelsea have decided to sell Tammy Abraham and make Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku his replacement, according to reports. Thomas Tuchel’s side have been linked with a variety of strikers, from Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland to Bayern Munich powerhouse Robert Lewandowski. However, it seems they want a return to Stamford Bridge for the Inter Milan star instead.
Abraham was a regular under Frank Lampard during his stint in charge of Chelsea, often leading the line.
However, the England international has struggled for form ever since the arrival of Tuchel as Lampard’s replacement.
The German won the Champions League this season, with Abraham an unused substitute as the Blues won Europe’s top tier club competition for the second tine in their history.
That suggests the writing is on the wall for the 23-year-old, who was their joint top goalscorer along with Timo Werner with 12 strikes to his name.
And the Daily Mail say Chelsea have decided Abraham will definitely be sold this summer, slapping a £40million price tag on the striker.
West Ham have been mooted as potential admirers but a move to the London Stadium will be complicated, with the Hammers already insisting that fee is too high.
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It’s claimed that Chelsea, after extensive links to the likes of Harry Kane, Lewandowski and Haaland, want Lukaku back as his replacement.
The Belgian has loved every second of his time at Inter Milan and recently helped them end their 11-year wait for the Scudetto, propelling them to the prize.
Lukaku was also voted as Serie A’s MVP for the 2020/2021 season, having flourished under Antonio Conte.
But with Conte recently leaving his post as Inter manager, that’s given Chelsea enough encouragement to believe a deal could be struck this summer.
Lukaku flopped during his first spell at Chelsea, toiling under Andre Villas-Boas before being sold by Jose Mourinho following successful stints at West Brom and Everton.
He moved to Everton on a permanent basis and, in 2017, rejected Conte’s advances to join Mourinho at Manchester United instead.
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However, a stunning return could now be on the cards.
Chelsea hero Frank Leboeuf has had his say on the links to Lukaku and thinks the striker would be a good option for his old side as they look to win the Premier League title next time out.
Asked if a return to Chelsea makes sense, Leboeuf told ESPN FC: “It does, it does because Lukaku is an exceptional player and he proved it this season with Inter.
“We all know that he loves the club, Chelsea Football Club, so much.
“It was a dream for him to sign for the club when he was young, he came to visit the club when he was very young, then signed for Chelsea and then was on loan twice I think for West Brom and for Everton.
“I think maybe it’s a curse for him because he’s too emotional so he can’t be successful at Chelsea.
“But he might come back for, for me, a third time and prove me wrong and I wish him the best if he does it.”
And he then added: “He is one of the biggest talents in the world of football and he will prove it in the Premier League.
“I’m sure he can serve Chelsea, we all know Chelsea have a problem to finish their actions and score goals.
“So yeah he can be a plus for Chelsea for sure.”
Regarding Abraham, former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand recently stuck up for the Chelsea misfit.
“It’s crazy,” Ferdinand told BT Sport. “A young player, does he get the time that a Timo Werner, new signing gets when they come in?
“And they’re not treated with as much care and understanding of their character and cotton wool that a new signing gets.
“A new signing gets the investment but you’re investing in a young player. A young player adds so much value to a team but they don’t ever get that time or patience that a new signing gets.
“Tammy wouldn’t get the time Timo gets. He [Werner] scored at the weekend but he missed a sitter at the weekend. He missed another tonight.
“If you’re Tammy, you’re sitting there going: ‘Right, OK, I’ve got to be playing at least at the weekend to get myself in the shop window for the next game against Madrid’.”
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