Reports Suggest Roma Could Swap Abraham for Lukaku

While we didn’t have to suffer through the same protracted negotiations required to land players like Edin or Paulo Dybala in the past, or even Renato Sanches this summer, our collective patience was tested

by Roma’s pursuit of Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku. However, it didn’t take long for the big Belgian forward to make his mark, tallying eight goals through his first eleven appearances.

Considering how important Lukaku has become in such short order, Roma is reportedly keen on making the 30-year-old striker’s deal permanent. While Roma and Chelsea didn’t settle on a purchase clause or option late in the summer, the London-based club reportedly slapped a £37 million price take on Lukaku, giving Roma General Manager Tiago Pinto a starting point for any potential Lukaku negotiation.

Thirty-seven million pounds isn’t necessarily out of Roma’s price range, but according to The Mirror, the club may propose an interesting trade to their English counterparts: a Tammy Abraham for Romelu Lukaku swap. Abraham, who came to Roma from Chelsea two years ago, is currently rehabilitating from a torn ACL but could be offered to Chelsea in exchange for Lukaku.

Now, before you renew your Lukaku kit subscription for next year, there are two necessary caveats to this trade. First and foremost, José Mourinho may not be coaching Roma next season, and his absence could cause Lukaku to look elsewhere. Secondly, if Abraham’s recovery hits a snag and he can’t return to the pitch by late spring, this whole trade could go up in smoke.

Either way, it seems like Roma is willing to pull out all the stops to retain Lukaku. We’ll have to wait and see how the rest of the jigsaw pieces fall into place.