Thomas Tuchel has accepted some responsibility for Tammy Abraham’s lack of opportunities last season as the striker’s future at Chelsea lies in the balance.
It has been reported Roma have a £34m deal in place to sign Chelsea’s Abraham, on a permanent deal or a loan with an obligation to buy.
There are no obstacles to the deal being completed as far as the clubs are concerned but the 23-year-old has to decide if he wants to move to Rome.
Abraham ended last season as Chelsea’s joint-top scorer with 12 goals but made just seven appearances after Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard as head coach in January, while the imminent arrival of Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan looks set to push him further down the pecking order.
Tuchel said Abraham, who has had a full pre-season after missing out on selection for England’s Euro 2020 squad, is currently available for Wednesday’s UEFA Super League final against Villarreal and refused to directly address Roma’s offer.
Tuchel says he didn’t ‘trust’ Tammy Abraham as much as other Chelsea players
“I will not comment on the actual situations – how far this is and if it’s true and not true,” Tuchel said.
“Tammy is right now in the squad. He did some good preparation matches.
“I can absolutely understand that he wants more minutes. So the decision will be ‘how do we plan, what are Tammy’s plans, does he fight his way back into the team from the position where he ended last season or does he want to change club to have the chance of being a regular starter?'”
Arsenal – along with Serie A club Atalanta – are also interested in signing the forward but Chelsea would prefer to sell him to a club outside the Premier League, making a move across London unlikely.
Roma believe Abraham could thrive in Serie A just as Romelu Lukaku has done at Inter Milan.
Tuchel faces a selection dilemma for Wednesday’s clash with Villarreal as he chooses between first-team regulars who have recently returned from their summer breaks after featuring at Euro 2020, or fringe players such as Abraham who have undergone a full pre-season.
“It’s quite a normal situation in preparation until the transfer window is closed,” Tuchel added.
“Tammy is one of these players where we constantly evaluate the situation and adapt to the needs, but for tomorrow there is no news now.
“He is available, he is in training today and available for the starting 11 and to come off the bench.”
9Naija 