Jose Mourinho has opened up on the first six months of Tammy Abraham ’s career at Roma after admitting life had not been ‘easy’ for the striker following his struggles at Chelsea.
Abraham joined Roma in the summer transfer window for a fee of £34million to bring an end to his 16-year association with the Blues, having struggled to break into Thomas Tuchel’s plans.
The Englishman had been Chelsea’s first-choice forward under previous Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, but his minutes dramatically decreased after Tuchel took charge of the Premier League side last January.
With Chelsea chasing a move for Romelu Lukaku, Abraham’s chances of playing looked set to take a further hit, prompting the striker to seek a permanent departure from Stamford Bridge.
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He was handed an escape route by Mourinho, who was familiar with Abraham following his spells in charge of the Blues.
The decision to sign Abraham has proved to be a masterstroke from the Roma boss, with the 24-year-old quickly establishing himself as one of the best strikers in Serie A.
He has registered 18 goals in all competitions so far this season, making him the leading English scorer in Europe’s top five leagues.
His goals have not been enough to prevent Roma suffering a challenging campaign, with the club being knocked out of Coppa Italia and facing a major battle to finish in the European places.
But he has still impressed many with his performances, which have also earned him a recall to the England national side.
Despite being Roma’s leading scorer though, Mourinho still believes that Abraham has more to show, admitting that adapting to Serie A has been tough for the striker.
“He is doing well but he can do better. The team needs him to do better. A foreign player who was born raised and done in a different football, in a different society,” Mourinho said.
“It’s not easy to leave England but he is doing well. I hope in him but he has the potential to do even more.”
Abraham himself has admitted that the adaptation to a foreign league has taken time, but insisted that leaving Chelsea was a necessity for his career.
“At first it takes a bit of getting used to,” Abraham told Pro Direct Soccer about his early days in Rome.
“But after a while you settle in, find a house and start to explore a bit and try different restaurants. I’m really enjoying Rome.
“Sometimes I get homesick, which is tough, but I’m here for a reason: to do a job. I knew there’d be a point where I’d have to leave Chelsea and go out and explore.
“Now I’ve come to a different country and learning a different culture and language, I’m really enjoying it.”
Abraham is set to lead the line once again for Roma when they host Hellas Verona at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.
