Arsenal ‘really pushed’ for Tammy Abraham Chelsea transfer until Roma boss Jose Mourinho pipped them to deal worth £34m

ARSENAL gave it their best shot when trying to sign Tammy Abraham from Chelsea before Roma boss Jose Mourinho came along.

The Gunners were in pole position to sign the 26-year-old but the transfer was hijacked at the last minute by old foe and ex-Blues boss Mourinho, according to Fabrizio Romano.

It seemed like a match made in heaven as Abraham reportedly wanted to stay in the Premier League rather than move abroad.

But Arsenal were trying to stall the striker so they could get rid of Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah, Romano claims.

He told the Here We Go podcast, reported by the Express: "They were trying to convince the player and to take his time before joining Roma.

"Because they were looking to sell maybe Lacazette or maybe Eddie Nketiah to have a free slot for a new striker with Tammy Abraham.

“They were really interested, in talks with the agent, but they were prepared to make a proposal.

"But they were needing to sell a striker before signing Tammy Abraham.

"They were really, really pushing and pushing, they were trying in every possible way."

Arsenal had even tried to derail Roma's interest in Abraham by offering them Lacazette on loan.

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But the deal never materialised and Mourinho pressed ahead in his pursuit of Abraham, who was the Blues joint-top scorer in 2020-21.

In the end, Abraham couldn't wait any longer and completed his switch to join Mourinho's Roma revolution for £34million ahead of the following campaign.

And Abraham's career at the club got off to a flying start as he scored 27 goals in his debut season with the club.

But last season he struggled for form, only registering nine goals.

He's currently recovering from ACL injury and faces spending 2023 in the sidelines.