Man Utd and Chelsea in transfer rethink as England striker suffers ACL injury

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 5 Jun 2023 09:39 BST
• 3 min read

Multiple Premier League clubs will be pressed to rethink their summer transfer strategy with the news that Roma striker Tammy Abraham has suffered a serious knee injury.

It had been expected that Abraham would come on the transfer market this summer after two years with Roma.

The former Chelsea striker has been somewhat successful in Italy, though a return of nine goals in 54 appearances this season was rather disappointing.

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Nevertheless, the 25-year-old, who has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €58 million, had been linked with a string of Premier League teams in the summer. Roma, meanwhile, were reportedly only seeking €40m for the centre-forward, which would have made him something of a bargain signing.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Newcastle were among the clubs thought to be following the 11-capped England international’s progress. Previously, Real Madrid and Arsenal were linked with him in January.

These teams, though, are all being forced to reconsider their actions given that Sky Italia reports that Abraham suffered an ACL injury during Roma’s 2-1 win over Spezia on the final day of the Serie A season.

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How long will Tammy Abraham be out for?

It is a devastating blow for Abraham, who has not missed a single league match because of injury since March 2021 – when he was still playing with Chelsea.

The prognosis for the player is a lengthy period on the sidelines, with serious knee injuries of the type Abraham has suffered typically keeping players out for a period of six to nine months once the recovery period is taken into account.

It would be a huge risk for any Premier League club to sign Abraham in his current state, and it may well be that they see how the situation develops ahead of the January transfer window. More realistically, the player under contract until June 2026, is unlikely to leave Roma for another year now.

Abraham’s injury means that another centre-forward option is off the table for both Man Utd and Chelsea, who are so desperate to add to that area.