Former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham has suggested that he took inspiration from Mohamed Salah and Romelu Lukaku ahead of his exit from Stamford Bridge.
The England forward departed his boyhood club last summer in a £40m switch to Italian giants having fallen down the pecking order in west London. He was only afforded four starts by Thomas Tuchel following the German’s arrival over a year ago.
The move to the Stadio Olimpico brought to an end his 17-year spell with the Blues. Abraham has admitted that his decision to quit the club was not an easy one to make - but looked to the likes of Salah and Lukaku for inspiration, the pair having thrived since quitting Chelsea earlier in their careers.
Talking with The Athletic, he said: “It was difficult, a difficult decision [leaving Chelsea]. I was there since I was a young boy and all I knew was London, all I knew was Chelsea, apart from my loans (to Bristol City, Swansea City and Aston Villa).
“But there’s a time in your career where you have to do what’s best for you. I had to go out and make a name for myself again. From the first day I set foot here [at Roma], that was my goal.
“I’ve seen the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Mo Salah and Lukaku leave Chelsea and spread their wings. They’re the best players in the world.
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“For me, it’s about doing the same thing and even if it’s not the Premier League, it’s about going out and learning a different culture and experiencing different things. It’s about saying, ‘You know what? This is my time’.”
The move to Roma has certainly proven to be the right one for Abraham having found some excellent form in the Italian capital. The 24-year-old has scored 24 goals in his debut season at the Stadio Olimpico - more than any other player in the club’s history - and could yet finish a season with a trophy. Roma take on Leicester City in the Europa Conference League semi-finals and Abraham has suggested that the club’s motivations to secure silverware convinced him to secure a move despite interest from elsewhere in the Premier League.
“The Arsenal one got out and there were other clubs as well, but it’s never black and white and just speaking to Mourinho and Roma and the sporting director, they had an ambition and an aim,” he continued. "They wanted the club to reach certain targets, they hadn’t won a trophy for a while and they hadn’t done as well in the league as they would have wanted.
“It was about seeing a vision and… how can I put it? It’s just like what Newcastle (United) are doing: building again. I could see where Mourinho wanted me to be and he believed in me. This was the best place for me. Thank god I’ve done it.”
The striker of course continues to be linked with a return to the Premier League - Arsenal once again being credited with an interest. Abraham still has over four years left to run on his current Roma deal.
