Roma could allegedly try to send Tammy Abraham back to Chelsea as part of a deal to sign Romelu Lukaku from the Blues permanently.
After burning bridges with Chelsea fans by admitting he was pining for a return to Inter Milan, Lukaku's wish was granted last season, and a return to San Siro for 2023-24 was on the cards.
However, after learning of Lukaku's discussions with Scudetto rivals Juventus, Inter - who apparently felt betrayed by the Belgium international - ended their interest in another homecoming.
Instead, Jose Mourinho - who managed the striker during his time at Manchester United - offered Lukaku a fresh escape route to Roma, and the 30-year-old has hit the ground running with the Giallorossi.
From his first 10 appearances in a Roma jersey, Lukaku has managed eight goals across Serie A and the Europa League, scoring in each of his opening three matches in the latter competition.
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Despite agreeing to pay a staggering £97.5m for his services in 2021, Chelsea are now resigned to taking a huge loss on Lukaku, who has been expected to join Roma permanently for around £37m next year.
However, the Giallorossi do not possess an option to buy the Belgian, and according to Calciomercato, Roma could still try to drive the price down with a part-exchange deal.
The report speculates that Mourinho's side could offer Chelsea the chance to re-sign Abraham, whose influence in Italy has waned since making a fast start to life in Serie A.
The Blues sold the England international to their Italian counterparts for around £35.8m in 2021, and he won the Europa Conference League during his first season at the club, scoring 27 goals and recording five assists in all competitions.
Abraham failed to hit the same heights in the 2022-23 campaign, but he still registered a respectable nine goals and seven assists in 54 appearances, adding a Europa League runners-up medal to his CV.
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However, the 26-year-old has not played a single minute in the current term due to a devastating cruciate ligament injury, which is expected to keep him sidelined for at least another five months.
As such, a January deal for Abraham would be off the cards, but Chelsea are known to be in the market for another number nine and could potentially explore a deal next summer if they fail to bolster their ranks over the winter.
A Lukaku-Abraham transaction hinges on a couple of factors, though, as clubs in Saudi Arabia are still holding out hope of bringing the former to the Middle East, but he rejected such interest over the summer.
Furthermore, Mourinho's contract at Roma expires at the end of the season, and the ex-Chelsea boss' future has also been called into serious question amid talk of a Saudi Pro League move.
Lukaku would happily stay at Stadio Olimpico if Mourinho signed a renewal or if Antonio Conte was hired to replace him, but the 30-year-old would need convincing to continue beyond the end of the season if an unfamiliar head coach arrives.
Ben Knapton
