- The 25-year-old has been sidelined at Roma since June with a cruciate ligament tear
- Lukaku has scored three times in his first four games for Jose Mourinho’s side
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Tammy Abraham could make a sensational return to Chelsea after three years at Roma as part of a swap deal for loanee Romelu Lukaku, according to reports.
The academy star moved to the Eternal City following the appointment of former Chelsea head coach Jose Mourinho, and quickly blossomed away from Stamford Bridge.
Abraham was instrumental in Roma’s first Europa Conference League win and became the first English player to score more than ten goals in a single Serie A season for over 30 years.
His second season was a little more uneven and the 25-year-old suffered a disastrous end to his season when he suffered a tear to his anterior cruciate ligament on the final matchday of the season.
After a tumultuous transfer window that saw potential moves to Inter Milan and Juventus fall through, Lukaku was called upon to provide cover in the Englishman’s absence.
Tammy Abraham could make a sensational return to Chelsea as part of a swap deal with Roma
Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku has started strongly in the capital and if the club secures Champions League football next season, the move could be permanent
But according to Calcio MercatoIf the Belgian striker continues his rich run of form, it could be Abraham who returns to west London at the end of the season.
The 30-year-old has had a blistering start to his time in the capital, scoring three goals in four games, including the winner in Roma’s 2-1 victory over Sheriff Tiraspol in their Europa League opener.
Lukaku has reunited with his former Manchester United boss and has quickly built a successful partnership with Paulo Dyabala. It appears he has cemented his place in the starting lineup.
Should Lukaku continue to impress in a display of the form that earned him a record-breaking £97.5million move to Chelsea in 2021, Roma’s owners, the Friedkins, will be happy to keep both the forward and Mourinho – whose contract expires – want to commit. from the season – to longer-term deals.
It is believed the goal will earn a place in next season’s Champions League draw after successfully climbing through the ranks of UEFA’s other major competitions.
Roma are currently in thirteenth place in Serie A, after a difficult start to the season.
Abraham would likely fall out of favour, and Roma would be keen to use the former Chelsea player as a bargaining chip to finally get Lukaku over the line.
But the player should be able to leave Mourinho’s starting line-up from late November or early December, based on a provisional recovery schedule for his injured cruciate ligament.
Success could force Roma to scrap the idea, or increase Chelsea’s desire for their former player.
Ex-director Marina Granovskaia included a £69.4 million buy-back clause in Abraham’s contract upon his departure from Chelsea, which could in turn help any potential deal get over the line.
Despite spending almost £1 billion on players over the last three transfer windows, Chelsea are believed to be preparing to enter the market and make a serious move for Brentford striker Ivan Toney in January.
The 25-year-old’s season was disrupted by an ACL tear on the final day of last season
Abraham joined the Blues at under-eight level and made 58 appearances for the senior team
The Bees player has been sidelined for breaching FA betting rules but will be cleared to return to action on January 14.
When asked in April if he could imagine a return to his boyhood club, Abraham claimed he could not rule it out.
“Never say never in football,” said the Champions League winner. ‘Right now my focus is on Roma, I have no other plans.
‘Maybe I’ll stay at Roma for the next ten years, maybe not. You never know.’
