Tammy Abraham says goodbye to teammates as Aston Villa finalise player-plus-cash agreement
Tammy Abraham is on the verge of completing his move from Besiktas to Aston Villa after the two clubs reached an agreement.
Aston Villa have been targeting Abraham throughout the winter transfer window, with the Midlands outfit keen to re-sign the England international.
The 28-year-old spent a season on loan at Villa Park from Chelsea in 2018-19, scoring 26 goals as Dean Smith’s side were promoted to the Premier League.
Abraham has been away from English football since he departed Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2021, but he is now closing in on a return.
Aston Villa agree deal for Tammy Abraham
Unai Emery is reportedly a big fan of Abraham and has been keen to bring him to the club for some time.
With Donyell Malen leaving Villa to join Roma earlier this month, it presented the perfect opportunity for Emery to make a move for the former Chelsea man.
According to Turkish journalist Yağız Sabuncuoğlu, Besiktas have agreed to sell Abraham to Aston Villa for £18.2million plus Yasin Ozcan.
Ozcan’s loan at Anderlecht will be terminated, and the 19-year-old defender will make the move to Istanbul as part of the Abraham deal.
The centre-forward has already said goodbye to his Besiktas teammates as he finalises his switch to Villa Park.
What will Tammy Abraham bring to Aston Villa?
Emery was never really able to get the best out of Malen during his time at Villa Park, with the Dutchman neither a traditional striker nor a winger.
However, there is no such problem with Abraham, who is an out-and-out centre forward.
The 28-year-old will be able to provide backup to Ollie Watkins, and potentially even push the Villa talisman for a spot in the starting lineup.
Watkins was poor in the 1-0 win over Fenerbahce on Thursday evening, and Emery was clearly lacking a different option off the bench.
Abraham brings a different skillset though, with the ability to hold the ball up as well as spin in behind, and could allow Villa to utilise an alternative style of play when needed.
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