Prodigal Son Returns: Villa Splash £18m on Tammy Abraham Homecoming
Unai Emery bolsters Villa's attacking options with the signing of former loanee Tammy Abraham from Besiktas in a clever £18m deal to aid their push on three fronts.
Aston Villa have completed the signing of striker Tammy Abraham for a fee of £18 million (€20m), with the 28-year-old penning a four-and-a-half year deal at Villa Park.
The Homecoming
It’s a proper blast from the past for Villa fans as Abraham returns to the West Midlands five years after his last Premier League stint. The former Chelsea academy product is no stranger to Villa Park, having enjoyed a stellar loan spell with the club during the 2018-19 campaign when they were still grafting away in the Championship.
During that season, Abraham was absolutely mustard for the Villans:
- Finished as the club’s top goalscorer
- Played a crucial role in helping Villa secure promotion back to the Premier League
- Left a lasting impression among the Villa faithful
Complex Transfer Chain
The deal to bring Abraham back to England involved some proper wheeler-dealer business. Technically owned by Roma, Abraham had been on loan at Turkish side Besiktas this season. In a bit of clever business, Besiktas activated their £11 million purchase option this week, only to immediately flip him to Villa for a tidy profit.
Emery’s Masterplan
Unai Emery has clearly identified Abraham as the perfect addition to strengthen his attacking options as Villa continue their impressive campaign on multiple fronts. Currently sitting pretty in third place in the Premier League, the Spaniard’s squad is also competing in both the Europa League and FA Cup.
Abraham is expected to complement rather than replace current striker Ollie Watkins, giving Emery tactical flexibility during what promises to be a demanding fixture schedule. The gaffer’s clearly got his eyes on some serious silverware this season.
Villa fans won’t have to wait long to potentially see their returning hero in action, with Abraham in contention to make his second Villa debut this weekend against Brentford. Talk about hitting the ground running!