An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their interest in signing Roma centre-forward Tammy Abraham in 2023...

What's the talk?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Villans are thinking 'concretely' about a swoop for the England international as Unai Emery looks to shape his squad during his first window in charge of the club.

The report claims that fellow Premier League side Chelsea have a €75m (£65m) buy-back option but it is 'difficult to imagine' them triggering it.

It is stated that only teams from England have the financial power to snap Abraham away from Roma. The Serie A side are open to cashing in on him, despite previously viewing the dynamo as 'immovable'.

Big Watkins upgrade

Ollie Watkins has endured a rough season in the Premier League this term as he has struggled badly in front of goal. The Englishman has plundered two goals from 14 appearances in the top flight, averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.64.

This comes after he scored 11 goals in 34 league outings in the 2021/22 campaign while averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.90. This shows that his performances have dipped this season after a respectable return last season.

Abraham, who claimed that Jose Mourinho is turning him into a "monster", is in a similar position in that he has only scored three goals in 12 Serie A starts for Roma after smashing in 17 goals in 37 matches last term - averaging a rating of 7.06.

These statistics suggest that the former Chelsea man would be a better option for Emery if both players are at their best, as his average performance level and goal return dwarfed Watkins' in 2021/22.

The striker has also proven himself in the Premier League in the past, as he scored 21 goals in 37 starts during his final two top-flight seasons with the Blues before he made the move to Italy.

This shows that his form in the Serie A last season was not a fluke as he has shown that he can score goals on a consistent basis in England and Italy, with his current form looking like an anomaly on paper.

At the age of 25, Abraham also has plenty of time on his hands to improve and develop as a player and this means that he could be a great signing for the here and now and for the future, rather than being a short-term option.

Therefore, Villa must swoop to sign Abraham in the January transfer window or next summer as he has the potential to be a big upgrade on Watkins at the top end of the pitch.