Tammy Abraham is happy at Roma and has no plans of returning to Chelsea after settling well in Italy.
Abraham joined Roma in a £34million transfer from Chelsea last summer. The 24-year-old had grown frustrated with playing a bit-part role at his boyhood club, so took the big step of moving abroad to join Jose Mourinho ’s side.
His bravery was rewarded with a fantastic debut campaign in which he contributed 27 goals and five assists in 53 appearances across all competitions. Abraham helped Roma win the Europa Conference League last season – the club’s first trophy in 13 years – and is looking forward to a second campaign in the Italian capital.
However, in theory, his time in Rome could be brought to an end if Chelsea decided to exercise their right to re-sign him. That is because the Blues inserted a buy-back clause in the agreement with Roma, which allows them to re-sign Abraham for €80m (£67.3m) next year.
However, Abraham has allayed fears that he would be keen to return to London. Asked about a possible move back to Chelsea, Abraham told Corriere dello Sport “No. The first day I arrived at Roma I felt at home. I’m in no hurry to get back to the Premier League because I can express my way of playing here. In Italy I feel happy in every respect.
“Believe me, I am not thinking of the future, but only about the present. I focus exclusively on the season that is about to begin, because I want it to be even more rewarding than the first I experienced in Italy.”
Asked if he regrets leaving Chelsea, Abraham replied: “Never, not even for a second. Choosing Roma was one of the right decisions I’ve made in my life.”
Abraham will no longer be the undisputed number one striker at Roma following the arrival of Paulo Dybala on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract with Juventus. The Argentina international was unveiled in a grand ceremony which involved fireworks and thousands of fans.
Abraham welcomes the competition up front. Asked if he was jealous of Dybala’s status at the club, he answered: “No. There can be two kings, right?
“It is a privilege for us to have a player of this level in the team. It means a lot to the fans and it means a lot to us, that we are building a high-profile technical project.”
Abraham’s form for Roma saw him rewarded with a recall for England. He wants to be in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Qatar World Cup in November, but is currently focused on Roma.
“I think about working and growing,” he said when asked about his goals for the campaign. “Last season was good but the goal is to make sure that the next one is even better. Maybe the best ever. Of course, we want to do better than last season and get back in the top four. It has to be a goal.”
