Aston Villa prepared to make club record bid for Tammy Abraham

Aston Villa have been tipped to break their transfer record, for the second time this summer and third time in a less than a year, to sign out of favour Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham for up to £40m.

Villa agreed a £28m deal rising to £33m to sign recent England international Ollie Watkins from Brentford last September, and have already committed £33m plus add-ons to buy playmaker Emi Buendia from Norwich this month.

In addition to also already having Bertrand Traore, a fit again Wesley, Trezeguet and Anwar El-Ghazi available to manager Dean Smith in attacking areas, a report from The Athletic in recent days noted Villa’s desire to still sign another forward.

They are also said to remain hopeful that Jack Grealish will stay at the club, even though Manchester City are very keen on the England star and could pay £100m for him after Euro 2020.

Villa have previously failed in a bid to land talented Arsenal youngster Emile Smith Rowe. Yet with Abraham deemed surplus to requirements at Chelsea there could be an opportunity to bring him back to Villa Park following a successful loan spell earlier in this career.

It was Abraham’s form with Villa in the Championship in 2018/19, scoring 25 league goals in 37 appearances, that prompted Chelsea to give him a chance in their own squad. However, he has failed to impress Thomas Tuchel and hardly featured in the second half of last season.

The Daily Mirror writes that manager Smith is keen for Villa’s transfer business to be completed as early as possible, with the club prepared to offer up to £40m for Abraham. As such, it is said that Chelsea are expecting a bid for the 23-year-old to be made ‘imminently’.

Abraham himself is thought to be open to returning to the West Midlands.

The striker actually made a promising start to his Chelsea career after returning from his loan at Villa in 2019. He was handed the number nine shirt and proceeded to score 15 Premier League goals, and 18 in all competitions, during that debut season.

There has already been interest in him from West Ham, Southampton, Crystal Palace and Brighton within the Premier League and even Borussia Dortmund further afield, with the Bundesliga side also keeping an eye on Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi.

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