Football: Roma sign striker Abraham from Chelsea
Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham has today completed his transfer. To AS Roma, where he will be managed by none other than José Mourinho.
The transfer is worth €40m with a reported €5m in additional unspecified add-ons with also a future sell-on percentage, which would make Abraham the club’s record signing. The 23-year-old Chelsea Academy graduate has signed a five-year contract and will wear the No. 9 shirt.
Chelsea do have a buy-back, reportedly set at €80m, which will become active in two years, in 2023.
Tammy Abraham has today completed a permanent move to AS Roma.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 17, 2021
Everyone at Chelsea Football Club thanks @tammyabraham for his contribution at Stamford Bridge and wishes him the very best for the future. 💙
“You can sense when a club really wants you – and Roma made their interest clear immediately,” said Abraham.
“Roma is a club that deserves to be fighting for titles and trophies. I’ve had the experience of winning major trophies and I want to be in those competitions again – so I want to help this team to achieve that and get to the level where Roma should be.
“It’s a massive honour to be the No 9 at this club and I just can’t wait to get started and to help the team.”
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: “Tammy will always be welcomed back at Stamford Bridge as one of our own. We have all enjoyed watching his progress through our Academy and into the first-team squad, and are grateful for his contribution to our successes at senior and youth level.
“His many goals in a Chelsea shirt and, of course. His part in our Champions League triumph last season will never be forgotten. I’m sure all Chelsea supporters will join me in wishing Tammy a long and successful career.”
As reported by The Athletic last week, Roma’s general manager Tiago Pinto flew to London to help convince Abraham to join them. He met with the forward, his father and Abraham’s agent.
Roma’s manager, former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, has also been speaking to the England international on the phone to convince him to come.
It is understood the 23-year-old. Who has barely played for Chelsea since. Thomas Tuchel took over as manager in January, had been telling Chelsea teammates that he wanted to join Arsenal. However, no offer was forthcoming.
Roma will pay the fee in installments over the length of Abraham’s contract. He is being paid a salary of €6 million-a-year net. Which is considerably more than the £70,000-a-week he is on at Chelsea.
Sources have told The Athletic that Chelsea have inserted a buy-back option as part of the deal. But it can only be triggered after two seasons and is worth a sizeable €80 million (£68 million).
“Despite still being very young, with a huge amount of potential to keep improving, Tammy has already played more than 200 games in his career and scored over 100 goals — and won a number of major trophies, too,“ Roma general manager Tiago Pinto said. “Choosing to leave the Premier League, and the club he grew up at, demonstrates very clearly just how much he believes in this opportunity to develop his own game and show what he can do at Roma.”
