Aston Villa surely now on easy street to sign Tammy Abraham as Besiktas transfer news emerges
Tammy Abraham could be closing in on an emotional Aston Villa return.
After a relatively quiet summer transfer window, Aston Villa have signed Gremio winger Alysson and Metz forward Brian Madjo this month.
With Ollie Watkins the club’s first-choice striker, Villa have announced that Donyell Malen has joined Roma for an “undisclosed fee”.
That means they are short on strikers, with Villa eyeing a January move for Besiktas loanee Abraham.
Now, events are in motion that could accelerate the former Chelsea man’s return to Villa Park.
Besiktas shortlist replacement for Aston Villa-linked Abraham
According to Sky Sports, Villa are interested in signing Abraham, who is on loan at Besiktas, from Roma.
The report adds that “tentative discussions” have started over a Villa switch but he is not the only player on Unai Emery’s radar.
The 28-year-old is believed to have met the conditions to turn his Besiktas loan into a permanent move but the Turkish side will turn their attention to Udinese’s Lorenzo Lucca, who is on loan at Napoli, if Abraham leaves.
The former AC Milan loanee is likely to be second choice behind Watkins but a chance to return to the Premier League may be an enticing one after nearly five years in Europe.
An intriguing couple of weeks is in store for many sides as the transfer window ticks down.
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Abraham’s Villa return makes sense – but it’s complicated
When Abraham set out to Roma as a bright-eyed 23-year-old in 2021, he was stepping out into the unknown. The 6ft 3in forward had shown he had Premier League quality, albeit consistency was sometimes an issue.
Now he has played at Roma, Milan, and Besiktas, a familiar club in Villa may be the ideal route back to the Premier League.
The former Bristol City loanee will work under a top coach in Emery, and Villa are Premier League title challengers this season, along with competing in the Europa League and FA Cup.
| Tammy Abraham’s goalscoring seasons in Europe | |
| Roma: 27 goals in 53 appearances | 2021-22 |
| Roma: Nine goals in 54 appearances | 2022-23 |
| Roma: One goal in 12 appearances | 2023-24 |
| AC Milan loan: 10 goals in 44 appearances | 2024-25 |
| Besiktas loan: 13 goals in 25 appearances | 2025-26 |
Incidentally, Sky add that Nottingham Forest are also keeping tabs on Lucca, who has scored just two goals in 22 Napoli appearances.
He has not been able to replicate the 14 goals he scored for Udinese last season, with the likes of Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojlund limiting his minutes.
A January move makes a lot of sense for the 25-year-old but whether the 6ft 7in striker returns to Udinese, stays at Napoli, or goes to Forest remains to be seen.
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