West Ham United are in pole position to secure the services of Chelsea outcast Tammy Abraham despite Arsenal interest.
According to Transfer Market Web, West Ham are closing in on the capture of Tammy Abraham. They have taken the lead over Arsenal in the pursuit of the Chelsea forward who is destined to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer.
Abraham is likely to cost around £28 million, with the player himself keen on gaining regular first-team football next season. West Ham appear to have pounced on the opportunity, ahead of other interested parties like Everton, Arsenal and AS Roma.
The potential arrival of the Englishman should satiate David Moyes, who is desperate to sign a new forward after failing to bring Jesse Lingard back from Manchester United. The highly-coveted playmaker has opted to remain at Old Trafford in an attempt to fight for his place in the team.
It has left West Ham devoid of options in the goalscoring department. Michail Antonio was their only striker last season but given the hectic schedule of English football, Moyes is keen to add an alternative.
The former Manchester United boss is reportedly looking for a striker who matches the profile of Antonio himself. It is perhaps why the Hammers appear to have moved on from Paul Onuachu despite being linked with a move for the Genk forward earlier this week.
In Tammy Abraham, West Ham will find themselves a striker, whose pace and goalscoring prowess should tune in well with Moyes’ counter-attacking approach. It will be a major blow for Arsenal, though, as they were in the market for the Chelsea forward, identified as a potential replacement for Alexandre Lacazette.
The Frenchman is tipped to leave Emirates in the summer, but the Gunners are finding it difficult to a find suitor. It may have played a vital role in preventing the club from making a move for Abraham and indeed, Emi Buendia earlier in the summer.
As for Chelsea, the departure of Abraham should pave the way for the imminent arrival of Romelu Lukaku. The Inter Milan forward is reportedly on the verge of completing a sensational return to Stamford Bridge, a move that should significantly strengthen the club’s goalscoring prowess.
In fact, it won’t be surprising to see the Blues offloading more attacking players in order to compensate. One of their bright talents in Armando Broja, for one, is apparently set to complete a loan move to Southampton this summer.
