Chelsea Rumors: Blues Leave Door Open For Former Striker's Return Despite Lukaku's Arrival

A former Chelsea star could still make a return to Stamford Bridge.

Tammy Abraham recently completed his €40 million ($47 million) move to AS Roma after months of dealing with his uncertain future under Blues boss Thomas Tuchel.

While Abraham’s transfer appears quite a bit normal in the surface, reputable transfer insider Fabrizio Romano revealed that Chelsea had inserted a buy-back clause in the said deal.

According to Romano, the striker’s buy-back clause comes with a staggering price tag of €80 million ($110 million) and could not be activated until June 2023.

Moreover, the actualization of the said clause will still depend on Abraham’s decision.

"There is a buyback clause, for Chelsea, valid from June 2023,” Romano recently said on The Here We Go Podcast. “Chelsea would be able to sign Tammy Abraham for €80 million ($110 million). It depends on the player of course, if the player will say ‘no’, the player always decides in the deal.”

"But Chelsea have the buyback clause, it’s 100% included by Chelsea sources, by Roma sources and by the player’s sources."

Prior to joining Jose Mourinho’s side, Abraham and Tuchel have endured a fractious relationship which may have started when the German manager took over Frank Lampard’s position earlier this year.

The 23-year-old was one of the key figures in Lampard’s young and talented Chelsea squad in the previous seasons but quickly fell out of Tuchel’s pecking order.

The negative vibe between the pair worsened over time, and according to The Times, Tuchel grew frustrated with Abraham’s lack of determination as an athlete.

Abraham’s approaches in training, as per the report, have ultimately led to his departure, prompting Chelsea higher-ups to green-light his move to Roma.

Ahead of Chelsea’s UEFA Super Cup match against Villareal, Tuchel bluntly admitted that his luck of “trust” in Abraham may have contributed to the wantaway forward’s exit.

“He has reason not to be happy after the lack of game time last season but it’s maybe also my fault for not trusting him as much as other players,” Tuchel said of Abraham.

“Does he want to change to be a regular starter elsewhere? That’s completely up to him, but he’s with us and available for the team tomorrow here in Belfast.”

Chelsea’s attack this season is expected to be led by new signing Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgian striker is considered one of the most prolific goalscorers in modern football, and he is already looking forward to a resurgent season in the English Premier League.