Tammy Abraham has explained why he chose to move to Roma over Arsenal, after deciding to leave Chelsea, despite originally wanting a move within the Premier League.
Abraham was a major part of plans at Chelsea under Frank Lampard but his role in the team all but evaporated under Thomas Tuchel in the second part of last season.
Advert
His last start under the German came in February 2021 and he missed the club's Champions League and FA Cup final squads altogether.
He moved to Roma last summer, where he's had a brilliant debut campaign, scoring 24 goals, with no one in the club's history bagging more in their first season for the Giallorossi.
Speaking to Alan Shearer in the Athletic, the former Chelsea striker confirmed he did have other options, and initially wanted to stay in England to prove a point to the Blues but Jose Mourinho changed his mind.
"I wanted to be in the Premier League," the 24-year-old told the Premier League's all time top goalscorer, "I felt like I had a point to prove again.
Advert
"I wanted to do well, to go away in England and prove Chelsea wrong about not playing me and as a young lad trying to move countries is never easy, especially to a league I wasn’t really familiar with.
"I had a few [opportunities], the Arsenal one got out and there were other clubs as well.
"But it’s never black and white and just speaking to Mourinho and Roma and the sporting director, they had an ambition and an aim.
Advert
"They wanted the club to reach certain targets, they hadn’t won a trophy for a while and they hadn’t done as well in the league as they would have wanted."
"It was about seeing a vision and… how can I put it? It’s just like what Newcastle [United] are doing: building again. I could see where Mourinho wanted me to be and he believed in me. This was the best place for me. Thank god I’ve done it."
It's a decision that has really worked out for the former Bristol City loanee, who has had a season that he could have only dreamed of when moving abroad.
His form has led to some wanting him to return to the England squad, and he has a chance of making the World Cup later this year.
Advert
When it comes to immediate plans, the striker could still be celebrating with silverware come the end of the season, something that isn't the case at the Emirates.
Mourinho's side play against Leicester City in the Europa Conference League semi finals, with the first leg taking place on Thursday night.
Chelsea replaced him with Romelu Lukaku last summer and it hasn't worked out for the Belgian, who has been linked with a move back to Serie A himself, with Inter Milan.
Advert
Even without playing in the Premier League, Abraham has certainly proved a point in his first campaign in the Italian capital and he won't be looking back with any regret.
Topics: Premier League, AS Roma, Arsenal, Serie A, Chelsea, Tammy Abraham, Jose Mourinho, Europa Conference League
Ryan Sidle