Punters assessing the best betting sign up offers have many things to consider when picking out their bets for the new Serie A season. Last season’s form plays a role, but one of the key aspects is how a club fares over the summer transfer window. Do the incomings outweigh the outgoings? Do the new players have the characteristics to fit the system?
Keeping track of all the latest news can be a dizzying experience, with rarely a day going by without a new name linked with a move to or away from your club. AS Roma are certainly no exception to this, with the list of potential signings expanding by the day. Some stories should be taken with a pinch of salt, at best, but others appear to have more substance.
Falling into that latter category is a deal which would take Roma’s English forward Tammy Abraham to AC Milan, with Belgian winger Alexis Saelemaekers heading in the other direction.
The Rumoured Deal
Widespread reports suggest Abraham will head to the San Siro to bolster the Milan front line. In return, Roma will receive Saelemaekers and a cash fee – thought to be in the region of €10 million.
Several outlets have already confirmed both players are happy with the personal terms on offer, leaving only the final details of the deal to be ironed out. Fan opinion will vary regarding which club is getting the better end of this deal, but here we look at the records of the two players.
Tammy Abraham Player Profile
Coming through the ranks at Chelsea, Abraham struggled to break into the first team at Stamford Bridge but proved a big hit when sent out on loan. Scoring 23 times in 41 games for Bristol City in the Championship, he failed to replicate that when notching 5 in 31 for Swansea in the 2017/18 Premier League. However, dropping back into the Championship saw him hit a career-best 25 in 37 for Aston Villa.
That performance at Villa prompted the Blues to give Abraham a chance in 2019/20. Tammy repaid that faith with 15 Premier League goals as he finally looked ready for the big time. Following that up with a solid 12 goals in 32 games in 2020/21, Abraham caught the eye of Roma, who splashed out £34m to secure his services.
Abraham made a flying start to life in Rome, impressing with his all-round game, goals, and assists. 27 goals in 53 games in all competitions made that £34 million look like a shrewd investment.
However, things haven’t gone so well since – 2022/23 returned only eight goals, and an injury curtailed 2023/24 only one. Whilst still only 26 years old, he hasn’t looked quite the same player on his return from injury, and Roma may view this as an ideal opportunity to cash in.
Alexis Saelemaekers Player Profile
At 25, Saelemaekers is a year younger than Abraham and boasts a CV of similar calibre. Making his name with Anderlecht in the Belgian Pro League, Alexis initially headed to Milan on loan in the 2019/20 season. Liking what they saw, the Rossoneri snapped him up for a fee of €3.5m.
Quickly establishing himself as a valuable squad member, Saelemaekers racked up 30 plus Serie A appearances in 2020/21, 2021/22, and 2022/23, picking up a league winners medal in 2021/22. However, unable to displace Rafael Leão in his preferred position on the left side of the attack, the Belgian was sent out on loan to Bologna in 2023/24.
Scoring four times, Saelemaekers seemed a natural fit in Emilia-Romagna, as he played an instrumental role in leading the club to the Champion’s League for the first time. Given that performance, it was a surprise that Bologna didn’t take up their option to buy, but that could be to Roma’s advantage.
Better Deal for Roma?
Abraham and Saelemaekers entered the 2024/25 campaign on opposite ends of the performance spectrum. The former struggled to score goals and find consistent playing time once he returned from injury in mid-March.
Meanwhile, Saelemaekers enjoyed a renaissance under Thiago Motta at Bologna, collecting 4 goals and 3 assists in 32 league outings. However, Motta’s departure for Juventus halted the Rossoblu’s intentions to make his loan move permanent—forcing him to return to parent club Milan.
