West Ham manager Graham Potter is in the market for a new marksman.West Ham manager Graham Potter is in the market for a new marksman.
West Ham manager Graham Potter is in the market for a new marksman. | Getty Images
The former Chelsea and Aston Villa striker was mentored by Didier Drogba as he climbed the ranks at Stamford Bridge.
West Ham are eyeing a swoop for Roma striker Tammy Abraham to bring the talisman back to the Premier League with the hopes of finding a more prolific marksman to lead the line next season.
The Hammers splurged £27 million on Niclas Fullkrug ahead of the 2024/25 campaign but the big German has been blighted by injuries since his arrival. Meanwhile, Brighton loanee Evan Ferguson endured a barren short stay in London and is unlikely to be viewed as an option for a permanent transfer.
Former Chelsea and Aston Villa striker Abraham has 89 Premier League appearances to his name, scoring 26 goals. The 27-year-old, who notched 10 goals on loan at AC Milan this season, is a product of the Blues’ academy and has also gained experience in the Champions League and the Europa League.
West Ham interested in AS Roma striker
Abrahams spent five years with the Chelsea first team but was sent on three separate loan spells before moving to Italy in 2021. The striker was labelled as ‘amazing’ by Roma boss Jose Mourinho in 2022 with the manager praising his ball winning abilities, which would represent an upgrade on the options available up front to Graham Potter this season.
Former West Ham scout Mick Brown told Football Insider: “He’s not the perfect article in terms of his control of the ball, but he’s a pain in the neck for defenders. He’s prepared to run into the channels, get in behind, hold the ball up, win flick-ons, and in general be a nuisance to the opposition.
“Sometimes he might not be the tidiest player, but he’s effective, and that’s what West Ham want. I don’t think playing in Italy has changed much for him technically, but he’s now got that experience playing regularly at a high level.
“There are a few Premier League clubs prepared to give him another chance in England. West Ham have been watching him over there so they know what he’ll bring to the table. At West Ham, he’s the type of forward they want because Fullkrug has had his issues and Evan Ferguson won’t stay because he hasn’t made an impact. So Abraham is in that same sort of mould and he’s one they’ve been looking at.”
Tammy Abraham comparisons with Chelsea legend Didier Drogba
Abraham developed his game in the mould of Didier Drogba at Chelsea. The Ivory Coast international scored 104 goals during his time in the Premier League. Speaking about the player in 2019 after he bagged seven goals in Chelsea’s five opening matches, Drogba said: "Yeah, I've known him [Abraham] since he's been like this. These are kids we used to see, they used to come and watch us training, and I believe they learned a little bit of our skills, how we read the game.
"So, you know, we're not surprised because I also trained with them when I used to train with the reserve team. It was always a moment for me to give away some skills, some knowledge, and they learnt really fast, really quick. So once again, I'm not surprised with what I've seen [with Abraham]."
In other news, West Ham star pens 39-word social media post ahead of permanent summer switch.
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