Arsenal are back on the trail of Tammy Abraham and could seemingly sacrifice a regular in their side to make the deal happen, according to reports in the Italian media.
The Gunners are desperate to add a new striker to their attack this summer. With the Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang era no more, Arsenal look a little toothless up front. And while they have been boosted by confirmation of Eddie Nketiah’s new deal, a new No 9 is very much top of their transfer agenda.
To that end, Mikel Arteta and Edu are seemingly chasing a number of potential options. Top of their wishlist appears to Gabriel Jesus. The Gunners remain confident of landing the Brazilian, despite the presence of Tottenham. Indeed, a report on Monday claimed Spurs may well beat them to the punch thanks to an Antonio Conte ace card.
As a result, the Gunners have also reportedly seen efforts to sign Gianluca Scamacca and Victor Osimhen knocked back.
And there have also been ongoing reports of interest in Abraham. The former Chelsea striker was on Arsenal’s radar last summer prior to his move to Roma.
His time in the Italian capital has gone exceptionally well, with the striker now back on their wishlist.
But prising him away from the Giallorossi will not be easy.
Indeed, Roma value Abraham at around the £85m- £100m mark – money which looks beyond Arsenal.
However, Calciomercatoweb claims the Gunners are looking to reduce their outlay by including Gabriel Magalhaes as part of the deal.
The defender has become a first-team regular under Arteta. His partnership with Ben White at the heart of the defence gave Arsenal the platform to push for fourth. And while that fell ultimately short, Gabriel earned many plaudits for his performances.
As a result, he has been the subject of plenty of speculation this summer. A move to Juventus has been mooted, while speculation has also seen Barcelona linked with a move.
However, CMW claims a move to Roma may be on the cards as part of a swap for Abraham. They claim the Brazilian could play the makeweight in a deal to bring Abraham to Emirates Stadium.
That deal, however, does appear unlikely with Arsenal regularly stating their intentions to retain Gabriel’s services.
Furthermore, il Corriere dello Sport also insists Manchester United are far more likely to nip in and sign Abraham.
They claim Erik ten Hag is a massive admirer of the England striker and will move for him above all other attacking options.
The potential £85m fee is also unlikely to put United off, having been willing to spend a similar amount on Darwin Nunez.
And Ten Hag sees Abraham as something of a risk-free signing, given his excellent record for Chelsea and Aston Villa.
Despite ongoing links to United and Arsenal, Abraham has made clear his affection for Roma.
And if the striker has his way, then he will be staying at the Stadio Olimpico for some time yet.
“I love this club,” Abraham told DAZN. “They’ve given me the opportunity to show myself, my heart is here. We’ll see what the future holds, but my heart is here.”
Furthermore, Arsenal or United also face a problem convincing the player’s agent Neil Fewings to sanction any transfer.
As per the terms of Abraham’s switch to Roma, Fewings reportedly pockets £345,000 for each and every window that Abraham stays at Roma.
