Conflict brewing as Abraham agrees to join London rivals despite Chelsea accepting Roma bid

Tammy Abraham has reportedly agreed terms with Arsenal despite Chelsea accepting a fee with Jose Mourinho’s Roma over a switch to Italy.

The England striker is said to be holding out for a switch across London, with his days at Stamford Bridge seemingly numbered following Thomas Tuchel’s arrival at the club. Indeed, the German did not appear to fancy Abraham from pretty much the start of his reign.

Having come through the ranks in west London, the striker was made a first-team regular under Frank Lampard.

He scored 30 goals in his two top-flight seasons, but Tuchel continued to omit him from matchday squads.

The German coach defended his decision back in April however, saying: “I can only judge what I see. I saw a bright young man in front of me. I saw a guy who is self-confident, who has a lot of talent.

“But it cannot be that in a period of such good results that suddenly the guys who don’t play are the winners.

“This is not logical to me. He was for some weeks not available, so is it now the moment to do crazy stuff and try things? If you just look at the data, you will say: ‘OK, he’s the top scorer.’ If you look at the data since we are here, it will maybe tell you a different story.”

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With Romelu Lukaku now on the brink of a sensational return to Stamford Bridge, the Blues are speeding up Abraham’s exit.

There has been plenty of Premier League interest in the 23-year-old. However, English clubs have been put off by Chelsea’s £40million asking price.

Arsenal and West Ham are the main suitors for the forward, but Roma appear to have jumped to the front of the queue.

Roma strike loan deal for Abraham

A report in Il Messaggero states that Mourinho’s men have agreed a deal with Chelsea that would see Abraham join the club on a two-year loan deal worth €5m with an obligation to buy for €35m.

However, it would appear that Abraham favours remaining in London rather than heading to Rome.

That could present a significant problem for the Blues, if the player digs his heels in.

The main issue for Chelsea is that they do not want to strengthen a London rival, even if they are on the brink of signing Lukaku.

The Belgian only made a handful of appearances for the club the first time around. However, his career has gone from strength to strength since then. A 30-goal haul sealing Inter a first Serie A title in 10 years last season.

He is is expected to complete a £97.5m switch after passing his medical examinations.

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