Exclusive: Arsenal dealt huge blow in race for Serie A star after agent reveals Chelsea’s involvement | OneFootball

Arsenal are in the market for a new striker this summer.

The Gunners, who narrowly missed out on securing Champions League football next season, will waste no time licking their wounds as they look to inject some much-needed firepower into their first-team squad.

After allowing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to join Barcelona in January, manager Mikel Arteta has been forced to rely on Alexandre Lacazette and inexperienced 22-year-old Eddie Nketiah.

However, although Nketiah has proved decisive in recent weeks, his contract is on the verge of expiring which has cast immense doubt over his long-term future.

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Understandably, the uncertainty surrounding both senior strikers has prompted the Gunners to go in search of a new forward and one name the Londoners like the look of is Roma talisman, Tammy Abraham.

Tammy Abraham in action for Roma

That’s according to Italian super-agent and CaughtOffside columnist Roberto De Fanti, who has lifted the lid on some of the legalities involved in the Englishman’s move to Roma from Chelsea last summer.

“Although Abraham is a Roma player, the club’s sporting director confirmed to me that the deal finalised with Chelsea last summer means the striker is effectively on loan for two years before a mandatory fee has to be paid,” De Fanti told us in an exclusive interview.

“Therefore, given the legalities, if Arsenal were to make a formal approach, they must do so to both Roma and Chelsea, and this is putting Arsenal off, for obvious reasons.”

Learning that Abraham’s move to Roma is legally only a loan until next season when a mandatory fee must be paid, will come as a huge blow to Arsenal, who seldom do business with Chelsea.

From the Blues’ perspective, it is fair to assume that they’re unlikely to want to strengthen their bitter rivals either, therefore, Edu and Arteta will probably feel like they have been left with no choice but to sound out an alternative.