Arsenal transfer news: Mourinho won’t stop Premier League return for Abraham

Striker wanted by Arsenal  

Roma manager José Mourinho doesn’t believe his star striker Tammy Abraham has any desire to return to the Premier League anytime soon, but also revealed that the England forward need only “click his fingers” and the Italian club will respect his wishes. Whether or not that will be the case this summer remains to be seen. 

Abraham has been nothing short of remarkable in Serie A since making the move to Roma from Chelsea last summer in a deal worth £36 million. So far this season the 24-year-old striker has scored 24 goals and five assists in just 39 games across all competitions. Which is more than any other English player across Europe’s top five leagues. 

Such form has seen Abraham be linked with a prompt return to English football, where he initially struggled to break into Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea first team last season. The striker has been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal this summer, where the North London club would presumably look to sign the England international as a long-term replacement for Alexandre Lacazette. Chelsea, who reportedly have an option to buy back the striker in 2023, also remain a distant prospect. 

‘Abraham moved to Roma because of his trust in me’ – Mourinho confident star striker will stay put

However, when asked about the possibility of losing one of his key players in the summer transfer window, Mourinho seemed perfectly comfortable shrugging off the suggestions and was confident that Abraham was happy in the Italian capital. 

“I don’t think it’s an easy decision for a young, local player to leave his club, to leave his house, his city, his country, to leave the Premier League – which of course is a competition that, when a player is in it, it’s hard to leave,” said Mourinho in an interview with Sky Sports. “He made that option and I think he made it by trust in me, and I think in this moment, if he wants to go back to England – I don’t think he wants now – but if he wants to go back to England he just needs to click his fingers.

“I’m so happy for him, back to the national team, loved in Rome. I don’t want to say he’s proven everybody wrong, because I think everyone knows that he’s a good player. And I think also with [Chris] Smalling and [Fikayo] Tomori showing the English boys that there is life outside the Premier League and in Italy there is a life that makes them even better players than they are.”

Homepage