After meeting with Roma general manager Tiago Pinto in London last week, Chelsea striker has agreed to join the Serie A side. The Blues will sell their academy graduate for a considerable fee while retaining a buy-back clause for the future.
Pinto met with the 23-year-old and his entourage and was successful in persuading him to join the Giallorossi, reports The Athletic. The player also held talks with AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho over the phone, which further convinced him to opt for Roma ahead of Arsenal.
Roma will pay Chelsea 45 million euros over the next few years. Abraham is set to be the most expensive signing in Roma’s history.
Chelsea, meanwhile, will retain a buy-back clause, which they can trigger after two seasons for 80 million euros. Abraham will earn 6 million per year net at Roma, making him among the club’s highest earners.
Once the move is completed, he will become the club’s fourth new signing under Mourinho, following Rui Patricio, Eldor Shomurodov, and Matias Vina. The Englishman is expected to replace Edin Dzeko for the Giallorossi since the Bosnian moved to rivals Inter Milan recently.
Abraham broke into the first team under Frank Lampard during the 2019/20 season. The Englishman scored 30 goals across two seasons but was subsequently left out of the team by Frank Lampard’s successor, Thomas Tuchel. The 23-year-old was completely omitted from the Chelsea squad that beat Manchester City in the Champions League Final on May 29.
Abraham was picked by Tuchel to be a part of the travelling squad for the 2021 UEFA Super Cup. Three days later, he was on the substitute bench for Chelsea when they played Crystal Palace in their Premier League opener. However, he failed to make an appearance on both occasions.
