Arteta 'in pain' after Arsenal miss out on Champions League
Arsenal's transfer decision over Tammy Abraham could be influenced by the Roma star during Wednesday's European Conference League final. Roma face Feyenoord in the first ever final of the new European third tier, in what could be the perfect audition for Mikel Arteta.
And Arteta is looking to bring in two new strikers, with Eddie Nketiah expected to follow the Frenchman out of the door. Arsenal were interested in signing Abraham last summer, but he could make up Arteta's mind with a strong performance against Feyenoord on Wednesday.
Arsenal are still monitoring Abraham's situation closely, and remain extremely interested in a deal for the young England striker. But although they're keen on a move, they may be too late.
Tammy Abraham is still wanted by Arsenal (Image: GETTY)
The Gunners missed their chance to sign Abraham last summer as they were reportedly counting on Lacazette being sold first, according to The Athletic. Instead, Abraham took the plunge and moved to Rome, and it's been a super signing for the Italian side.
Jose Mourinho brought in his former Chelsea youngster for £34million, and after a stunning debut season, it's very unlikely that Roma will even entertain any offers for Abraham. But the striker is from London, and is reportedly open to a return to the English capital at some point in the near future.
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The striker even said himself on BT Sport, that he never planned on leaving England in the first place. But when he couldn't guarantee game time at Chelsea, he decided to try something new and reunite with Mourinho.
Arsenal will be kicking themselves, as Abraham fits the mold and ticks every box that they're looking for. And if the star shows his worth in the Conference League final on Wednesday, they may launch an audacious bid.
Tammy Abraham will be looking to fire Roma to Conference League final success (Image: GETTY)
But again, there is one problem, as Chelsea have a buy-back clause of £68m as part of the transfer. It can only be triggered after the striker spends two seasons at Roma, but with the Serie A side unwilling to sell, and Chelsea having issues with Romelu Lukaku, it could easily be triggered at the end of next season.
Arsenal remain interested in Gabriel Jesus, and a dream window would see the Gunners sign both stars, but they need options if they are to climb into the top four next season. They narrowly missed out to Tottenham after a late collapse in the Premier League, and it will have hindered their options this summer.
But they're still a desirable club, and Arteta now has two ways of qualifying for the Champions League as they will try their hand at Europa League success. The Europa League is also a competition that Roma will be competing in next season, regardless of whether they win or lose against Feyenoord on Wednesday.
It will be a tough ask for Arsenal to snatch Abraham away from Roma, especially after breaking the Serie A record for most goals scored by an Englishman in a single season. And it won't help that they'll have to negotiate with a club managed by Mourinho, who doesn't have the best relationship with Arsenal.
