Tammy Abraham has already proved Gary Neville wrong – and Arsenal could be rewarded

Abraham joined Roma in last summer’s transfer window after failing to go through with Thomas Tuchel’s plans, but he has found success at the Serie A giants under Jose Mourinho

Tammy Abraham’s decision to join Roma last summer continues to look like a masterpiece from the young forward.

And it’s a move that has also seen him prove Manchester United legend Gary Neville wrong, drawing admiring looks from Arsenal in the process. Abraham had been unable to convince Thomas Tuchel that he was the future of the Chelsea forward line and chose Roma in his quest for playing time.

He immediately became Jose Mourinho’s leading frontman, playing for the Serie A side in his first season in Italy. The 24-year-old has scored 24 goals in all competitions this season and helped Roma reach the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League .

That tally is a new record for a player in his debut season at the Stadio Olimpico, with Abraham being one of the deadliest strikers in Italy’s top flight. This return has also resulted in him proving Neville wrong in a way.

The former United captain had questioned Abraham’s ability in front of goal during his final season at Stamford Bridge. The pundit even went so far as to brand him as a player modeled after Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino, who is known for not having a high goalscoring record.

“He needs to score 12-15 goals. He won’t score 25 goals but the pressure will come on him when people say ‘Chelsea need a goalscorer’. I know they have Werner who will score from wide areas but if the centre-forward doesn’t get 15 goals, 20 goals a season, he’s going to be under pressure,” Neville told Sky Sports in December 2020.

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“He needs to get those goals early in the season. I think there’s a huge relief on his face as he gave this interview. I mean he could be the Firmino. You see Firmino at Liverpool getting a little questioned at times for not scoring enough goals.

“But I don’t think someone who knows football questions him and what he brings, then the other two get more praise and score goals. But he does a lot of work for the team that obviously supports that.

“I just think he’s going to be under pressure at Chelsea – a young striker, an English centre-forward. He just has to keep scoring just to keep people away from him and make sure there are no clouds.”

Abraham’s efforts to prove Neville wrong and establish himself as a feared goalscorer has also attracted Arsenal. The Gunners will be looking for a new striker in the summer transfer window and tried to sign Abraham last year before seeing him join Roma.

But The Times report Mikel Arteta is set to return for the former Chelsea star given his performance in the Italian capital. Such a move would likely cost a fee in the region of £65million, with Abraham having more than four years left on his contract.

But after Neville’s analysis was shown to be flawed, such a high fee seems justified. And if Arsenal reaffirmed their interest in the Roma star, they would surely reap the rewards of his decision to pack up and embark on a quest for a fresh start away from Chelsea.