Tammy Abraham 'in No Rush' to Sign New Contract at Chelsea
By Tom Gott
Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham is understood to be keeping an open mind about the imminent arrival of Timo Werner and is in no rush to sign a new contract.
The Blues are closing in on a surprise deal for Werner, who has been one of Europe's most prolific forwards, and that has raised questions about Abraham's future. The 22-year-old has just two years left on his contract and talks over a new deal have stalled.
According to The Athletic, the move for Werner was never discussed with Abraham, but the Englishman was always expecting a new striker to move to Stamford Bridge this summer and is not thought to be concerned.
Chelsea hope that Abraham will relish the opportunity to be challenged by an elite forward, just as his idol Didier Drogba was during his playing days. The Ivorian famously saw off competition from the likes of Andriy Shevchenko and Fernando Torres, and the hope is that Abraham will work to do the same.
Manager Frank Lampard is confident that Abraham will eventually agree to extend his contract, largely because he plans to use the 22-year-old alongside Werner in the same lineup.
Lampard wants Abraham to remain as the central striker as he wants his starting forward to be a physical presence capable of holding the ball up, and he would like to see Werner playing off Abraham, rather than instead of him.
It's a similar one-two punch to that of Leipzig this season. Werner has played as an inside forward behind the towering Yussuf Poulsen, and the German's tally of 31 goals in 41 games tells you just how well it has been working.
Abraham is tipped to wait and see how the landscape changes over the coming months before committing to extend his stay at the Bridge, but Chelsea are quietly confident that it will all get done soon enough.
The Blues will soon have to shift their focus back to match action, with the Premier League set to get underway once more on 17 June. For Chelsea, their first game will come four days later, when Lampard will take his side to Villa Park to face Aston Villa.