Chelsea are now highly unlikely to make a move for Tammy Abraham this summer after the striker suffered a serious knee injury.
An update from Simon Phillips on Substack claimed that Chelsea had held internal discussions about bringing the England international back to Stamford Bridge this summer.
Now – however – Chelsea will have to cross Tammy Abraham off the shortlist.
What’s the story?
Well, the £34m man is expected to be out until the end of 2023 after suffering a gruesome anterior cruciate ligament injury in Roma’s final game of the season on Sunday.
Abraham landed awkwardly on his left leg after jostling with Chelsea loanee Ethan Ampadu during Roma’s 2-1 win over Spezia.
The Telegraph had recently claimed that Roma were ready to sell their No.9 this summer, as the Italian giants need to offset the financial loss caused by failing to qualify for the Champions League.
Unfortunately for both Roma and Abraham, a transfer now seems set to be put on ice until 2024 due to the injury.
It caps off a truly miserable season for the London-born striker.
Abraham scored just nine goals in 54 appearances throughout the 2022/23 campaign, and also suffered defeat in the UEFA Europa League final against Sevilla.
Who Chelsea could sign instead of Tammy Abraham
With Abraham now set to stay at Roma to undergo rehabilitation on his left knee, Chelsea will need to look elsewhere in the hunt to bring a new No.9 to Stamford Bridge.
One option who seems to be right at the top of Mauricio Pochettino’s shortlist is Victor Osimhen, with 90min claiming that the Nigeria international is the Argentina’s No.1 striker target.
A story from ESPN adds that Dusan Vlahovic is also wanted by the Blues, who could soon be losing a forward as Real Madrid step up their pursuit of Kai Havertz.
Be sure to keep an eye on developments involving Chelsea, as Pochettino attempts to overhaul his squad.
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