After qualifying for the Champions League last season, Aston Villa knew they'd need to spend to strengthen a fantastic squad, but an urgency to adhere to Premier League profit and sustainability rules has rocked the boat.
Despite playing the role of midfield linchpin last season, Douglas Luiz is closing on a transfer to Juventus as Villa Park fights to balance the books. Samuel Iling-Junior and Weston McKennie are heading the other way but many supporters can't help but feel aggrieved.
Jhon Duran, too, looks likely to be sold, with Chelsea pushing to sign the £40m-rated striker, aged 20. Once PSR has been placated, Unai Emery can turn the transfer cannon toward further targets, with a talented forward already being lined up.
Villa lining up Duran replacement
Aston Villa boast one of the best, multi-angled strikers in the Premier League in Ollie Watkins, but Duran's role as understudy has crucially handed Emery an extra dimension. If he is sold, fine, but landing a talented successor is imperative.
As such, there might be something in reports suggesting Tammy Abraham is on Villa's radar. As per Gazzetta dello Sport – via Sport Witness – the Midlands outfit are one of the suitors eyeing a deal for the English centre-forward, alongside Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.
However, Villan fans will welcome the musical tone that suggests their club is in the driving seat to complete a deal, having been deemed the more likely destination. The 26-year-old is valued at about £20m after spending the lion's share of the 2023/24 campaign out with a knee injury.
Why Tammy Abraham would work for Aston Villa
Why indeed. Abraham started just two times in Serie A last term, shackled to the sidelines as he recovered from a knee injury on the final game of the 2022/23 campaign.
The woes of last year aside, he's enjoyed comparative prolificness throughout his career and played a momentous part in Jose Mourinho's Roma winning the Europa Conference League in his first season after signing from Chelsea in a £34m deal.
23/24
Roma
12
2
1
1
22/23
Roma
54
35
9
7
21/22
Roma
53
49
27
5
20/21
Chelsea
32
18
12
5
19/20
Chelsea
47
33
18
5
18/19
Aston Villa
40
40
26
3
As you can see, he's maintained an impressive rate of scoring ever since his blistering loan spell at Aston Villa, once hailed as a "goal machine" by former Manchester City striker Stephen Elliott – with his machine-like marksmanship sending a proud football club back to the highest point of English football.
Now, Villa have reached the summit of the continent, and Abraham, while blighted by injuries last term, has proven himself a worthy star in European competition and could offer the skill set to positively bounce off Watkins'.
Watkins enjoyed quite the campaign, finishing as the Premier League's top playmaker and scoring 27 goals across all competitions to boot. Leicester City defender Conor Coady said that the 28-year-old is a "nightmare to play against", and it's clear to see why, with so many different ways for the Three Lions phenom to inflict damage on his adversaries.
A true partnership could be borne from the imposing, quick-footed focal role of Abraham and the more dynamic and expressive style of play that has seen Watkins rise to a position of power in the Premier League.
Abraham would find a steady stream of support while returning the favour with regularity – he averaged one key pass per game across his first two Serie A campaigns. Emery, who likes his teams to contain angles in abundance, would relish the chance to welcome such a striker.
For half the projected price that Chelsea will pay to land Duran, this could be quite the bargain for Villa Park.
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ByAngus Sinclair