Does Tammy Abraham offer something different?

Tammy Abraham, 24, playing for Chelsea

Does Tammy Abraham offer something different?

On the surface, Tammy Abraham to Arsenal seems like a bizarre transfer for the club to make. 

Firstly, he’s a Chelsea player, surely Arsenal have learnt not to buy Chelsea’s dead wood after the fiasco of our last two transfers from the blue side of London. 

Secondly, striker is the only position on the pitch where Arsenal don’t need investment. 

Despite Pierre Emerick Aubameyang having his worst season in an Arsenal shirt in 2020/21, the Gunners still have an inform Alexandre Lacazette, the impressive Gabriel Martinelli, and the hard-working Eddie Nketiah to choose from. 

Finally, Abraham can’t be expected to provide good value for money considering Chelsea have a record of maximising the sell on value of their fringe players. 

Despite all of this, the England international has been linked with a move to Arsenal, Aston Villa, or West Ham this summer after first team opportunities started drying up under Thomas Tuchel last season. 

The 23-year-old lost his England place before the European Championship, and often struggled to make the bench after recovering from an ankle injury. 

But he was still able to score 12 goals in all competitions last season though, suggesting he has something to offer the right club. 

After Aubameyang’s disappointing campaign and considering Lacazette’s age and goalscoring record, it may be worth taking Abraham more seriously as an option in the transfer market. 

He could offer something different

Tammy Abraham is a goal scorer first a foremost. 

He’s not like a Lacazette, a Harry Kane or a Robert Firmino in that you’d play him to act predominantly as a goal threat as opposed to someone who’s comfortable dropping deeper. 

Historically, he’s proven to be quite competent in this role. 

He hasn’t taken the world by storm but his 23 league goals in the Championship for Bristol City, his 25 goals in 37 league appearances for Aston Villa and his 15 goals in the 2019/20 season for Chelsea suggest that when given minutes, Abraham is a very capable operator inside the penalty box. 

His intelligence inside the penalty area is extremely underrated, at points for Aston Villa it was scary, but he’s also a form player who needs minutes to perform to the best of his abilities. 

For that reason, the success of any transfer to Chelsea may hinge on Aubameyang’s future. 

The club could do worse than sell the Gambon international and reinvest the transfer fee and huge wages elsewhere in the squad while signing Abraham as Aubameyang’s long-term replacement. 

Alternatively, if Mikel Arteta wishes to persevere with playing Aubameyang on the left side of a three, then Abraham could be deployed through the middle with Bukayo Saka or Pepe playing on the right. 

Despite a difficult decade, that forward line could offer a glimmer of hope for the club moving forward. 

He can’t offer something different

The underlying issue with signing Abraham isn’t his quality as a player but more the fear of signing another player from Chelsea only for him to flop. 

Willian and David Luiz have cost the club millions in wages with little to no positive return on the pitch. 
Furthermore, while he is dangerous in front of goal, Abraham doesn’t have the skill of a Lacazette which would limit Arteta’s options in Arsenal’s build-up play. 

Perhaps most worryingly of all is that he’s never scored 20 goals or more in the Premier League whilst Aubameyang is one of the most efficient goal scorers the league has ever seen. 

This is an issue primarily because it would heap a lot of pressure on the young forward were he to come in as Aubameyang’s replacement. 

In short, this would be a risky move for Arteta and the only way to justify it would be to reinvest any left over funds back into the squad. 

Selling Aubameyang or Lacazette could provide close to £50 million in funds for reinvestment into the squad. 

That might be too much for Arteta to turn down if Arsenal can sign Abraham as a replacement and then reinvest the difference elsewhere. 

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