Chelsea could land ideal transfer boost to solve goal-scoring woes without a spending a penny

Chelsea’s slow start to the season continued as they fell to a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to fellow London side Brentford. The result leaves the Blues in the bottom half of the table as fans continue to question Chelsea’s output in front of goal.

Overall Chelsea had 17 shots in the game compared to Brentford’s seven, but were unable to find the back of the net for the fourth time in 10 league matches this season.

Many outlets have suggested that the striker position will be a top priority for Mauricio Pochettino and his team in the winter window as they aim to make a return back into the European places.

Big name players such as Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen are just some of the names that have been mentioned, while another potential target could be a former striker in Tammy Abraham.

Abraham is a familiar name with the Chelsea faithful and he emerged through the club’s academy in 2016 after a 12-year stay in the youth team.

The eleven-time England international enjoyed loan spells at Bristol City, Swansea City and Aston Villa before breaking into the first team set up under Frank Lampard. Abraham scored 15 goals in 34 Premier League matches during the 2019/20 season - which is the highest figure in a season since Eden Hazard’s departure the previous year. The striker failed to hit the same standards the following year with just six goals in 22 appearances and was sold to AS Roma for £34m.

Since moving to the Italian capital, Abraham has scored 25 goals in 75 league appearances in Serie A and has emerged as a key player in Jose Mourinho’s set up. The ex-Chelsea manager has made a habit of signing strikers from Stamford Bridge and he recently agreed a loan deal to sign Romelu Lukaku, who was deemed surplus to requirements by Pochettino.

Lukaku looks to have rediscovered his goal scoring touch in Italy and has scored a combined eight goals in 11 appearances in all competitions. Mourinho is keen to make the deal permanent and Chelsea are believed to value the striker at around £37m, according to reports from The Mirror.

A report in Calciomercato outlines that the Giallorossi are seeking an alternative to paying the £37m fee upfront for Lukaku. Instead, they may offer Tammy Abraham – whom they signed from the Blues in 2021 – in a swap move for the Belgian to offset any fee.

Abraham suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on the final day of the Serie A season, having to be carried off on a stretcher in Roma’s 2-1 victory against Spezia at the Stadio Olimpico. The striker is yet to play a game since then and is not expected to make a return until January 2024.