TAMMY ABRAHAM’S £34million move from Chelsea to Roma has been confirmed.
And the England striker linked up with new boss Jose Mourinho straight away.
Abraham, 23, had been at Chelsea since he was seven.
And although he played frequently under Frank Lampard, it soon became apparent Thomas Tuchel was not a fan as his game time plummeted.
But the forward is looking forward to making an impact in Italy at a club that ‘really wants’ him.
He said: “You can sense when a club really wants you – and Roma made their interest clear immediately. Roma is a club that deserves to be fighting for titles and trophies.
“I’ve had the experience of winning major trophies and I want to be in those competitions again – so I want to help this team to achieve that and get to the level where Roma should be.
“It’s a massive honour to be the number nine at this club and I just can’t wait to get started and to help the team.”
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
The Blues said: “Tammy Abraham has today left Chelsea to join AS Roma in a permanent transfer, ending his long association with the Blues after coming through the ranks in our academy to represent our men’s first team.
“In total, Abraham scored 30 goals in 82 appearances for the club at senior level, primarily over the last two seasons, and was part of the squad which triumphed in the Champions League and UEFA Super Cup this year.
“Everyone at Chelsea thanks Tammy for his contribution at Stamford Bridge and wishes him the very best for the future.”
Abraham will wear the No 9 shirt in Rome.
He flew into Rome to finalise the deal on Saturday.
The England international is believed to have signed a five-year contract worth £80,000-a-week – the same as he was on at Chelsea.
‘ONE OF OUR OWN’
And it is understood Chelsea have inserted a £68m buy-back clause into the deal – which can be triggered in two years time.
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said: “Tammy will always be welcomed back at Stamford Bridge as one of our own.
“We have all enjoyed watching his progress through our academy and into the first-team squad, and are grateful for his contribution to our successes at senior and youth level.
“His many goals in a Chelsea shirt and, of course, his part in our Champions League triumph last season will never be forgotten.
“I’m sure all Chelsea supporters will join me in wishing Tammy a long and successful career.”
As they have done in the past, the Serie A side used Abraham’s announcement video to promote a missing persons charity.
They tweeted: “Welcome to #ASRoma, @tammyabraham!
“We are proud to support @ICMEC_official and other organisations around the world who are working tirelessly to bring missing children home.”
The ICMEC is the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children and Roma’s tweet combined footage of Abraham arriving in Rome with a montage of missing people from across the globe.
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
