Tammy Abraham in line for Aston Villa return as Emery sacrifices £50m stars | Football | Sport

Aston Villa are reportedly on the brink of securing Tammy Abraham on a long-term contract, with Unai Emery prepared to relinquish £50million worth of attacking talent to finalise the deal. Emery has been eager to bolster his squad’s attacking options as Villa compete across various competitions and has turned to Abraham, who is familiar with the club following a previous loan stint at Villa Park during their Championship days.

Talks will continue, but a four-and-a-half-year contract is being proposed, reflecting the confidence the club has in the former Chelsea forward. The 28-year-old has attracted interest from several clubs, but the opportunity to make Villa his permanent home is believed to have been a significant incentive.

Villa must proceed cautiously in negotiations due to their own PSR issues and with Abraham currently on loan at Besiktas from Roma, with the Turkish club having activated an obligation to purchase him. As a result, Emery could allow Besiktas to take a player on loan to mitigate the impact of losing a striker who has netted 12 times.

The Times suggests that Evann Guessand could be transferred from the Midlands club to the Super Lig team despite only recently joining from Nice for £30m. However, he has yet to score in his 12 Premier League appearances and could be let go.

Villa are also set to let Donyell Malen move to Roma, which would necessitate a replacement. The Dutchman, who has netted seven times this season, just one goal behind top scorer Morgan Rogers, is already in Rome undergoing a medical today.

Malen, a £20m signing for Villa last January, is joining the Serie A side on loan with an option to buy for £21million.

Ollie Watkins is currently their primary striker and has recently hit his stride after a challenging start to the season. However, Emery is seeking a more physical presence up front, and Abraham could certainly provide that.

Abraham shone during Villa’s promotion season of 2018-19, scoring 25 goals in 37 Championship matches while on loan from Chelsea. He then enjoyed success with the Blues – netting 18 times in his most prolific season at Stamford Bridge – before ultimately moving to Italy and Roma.

Jose Mourinho turned to Abraham as he sought a leading attacker at the Stadio Olimpico. The Englishman repaid that trust by delivering the best year of his career, scoring 27 goals.

However, he struggled with a couple of serious injuries the following year and spent the previous season on loan at AC Milan.

Emery had a challenging summer at Villa Park, with the club only finalising deals late and facing difficulties due to PSR issues. While Victor Lindelof has proven to be a great acquisition, Harvey Elliott’s loan period is set to end prematurely.

Villa are reluctant to pay the £30m needed to secure him permanently from Liverpool if he plays five more games. Jadon Sancho was also brought on board.