Southampton have reportedly joined the battle for Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham after the surprise sale of Danny Ings to Aston Villa.
According to Evening Standard, Southampton have joined the chase for Tammy Abraham after losing striker Danny Ings to Aston Villa. The Saints will have to overcome challenges from London sides Arsenal and West Ham to persuade the Chelsea striker to join them.
Aston Villa pulled off one of the surprising transfers of this window. Dean Smith’s side were on hand to announce the quick signing of Danny Ings from Southampton in a deal potentially costing £30 million. The in-form Saints striker had been on the market due to his contract situation, although he dreamt of joining one of the traditional top-six sides.
Southampton now have a task to replace Ings and his goals. Hence, they have now joined Arsenal and West Ham in the high-profile chase of £40 million-rated Tammy Abraham. The Chelsea striker could be available lower than the said value, and Saints would like him to replace Ings.
For Abraham, Southampton may not represent the most attractive option considering the other sides in his chase. Arsenal were thought to be his preferred destination, while the Hammers could become a fallback option. However, with the Gunners chasing Inter striker Lautaro Martinez, he will have to wait on them.
Moreover, Southampton are reportedly only asking Chelsea to loan him this season. The Blues themselves are pursuing high-profile strikers and could make a new offer for Inter Milan star Romelu Lukaku, meaning they need to raise funds from sales of players such as Abraham.
Abraham’s time at Chelsea has been a mixed bag. Promoted by former manager Frank Lampard, the striker was an instant hit, scoring plenty of goals. However, since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel, he has seen far less game-time as he watched his teammates clinch the Champions League last term.
With Chelsea on the lookout for another striker this summer, Abraham’s fate at Stamford Bridge seems pretty much sealed. While he has options on the table, none of those clubs have made an offer yet. Even Aston Villa were chasing him at some point, but their capture of Ings effectively rules them out of the running.
For Abraham, the preference could be to stay in London, which narrows down West Ham or Arsenal as possibly his next club. However, he is guaranteed to start games at Southampton, which may not be the case at the London clubs.
One way or another, the Abraham transfer saga looks set to pick up more steam in the coming days. The two London clubs could be a good option, but Southampton would provide him with a great platform to become their leading striker and possibly contend again for an England call-up.
