Abraham Keen on Villa Return as Malen Heads to Roma

Tammy Abraham fancies the idea of making a homecoming to Aston Villa during this transfer window, with the Birmingham club showing genuine interest in bringing the striker back to Villa Park.

Villa have already bolstered their squad in January, capturing Brazilian winger Alysson from Gremio and England Under-17 prospect Brian Madjo from Metz. Yet the recruitment drive shows no signs of slowing, particularly with Donyell Malen now departing for Roma.

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Malen's exit with his trademark 'here we go' announcement. The forward is heading to the Italian capital on an initial loan arrangement worth £2m, with a £25m purchase clause that becomes mandatory. Villa have sanctioned the deal, with Malen cleared to travel to Rome.

Abraham, currently on loan at Besiktas from Roma with a purchase obligation already triggered, represents a natural candidate to fill the void. The 28-year-old spent the 2018-19 campaign at Villa on temporary terms, playing a starring role in their Championship play-off triumph and Premier League promotion.

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Abraham remains among several options available to Villa should Malen's departure necessitate a replacement. However, the club insist they remain satisfied with their current striker options and Malen will remain unless circumstances change dramatically.

Unai Emery holds Abraham in particularly high regard, having harboured long-standing admiration for the forward dating back to the early stages of his Villa tenure, when preliminary discussions took place. There exists genuine mutual respect between manager and player.

Abraham has expressed openness to the prospect of a return, though he is not pushing the issue aggressively. Besiktas would entertain serious offers, with negotiations so far limited to preliminary enquiries. A club-to-club arrangement between Villa and the Turkish outfit should prove straightforward, though personal terms with the player—a substantial earner—may prove more complicated.

The Daily Mail reports Abraham is open to a permanent Villa switch and the Premier League side are optimistic about sealing a deal in the coming days.

Other Premier League clubs harbour interest in the striker, though they occupy positions considerably lower in the table than Villa's third-place standing. Abraham's situation is expected to develop considerably before the window closes, though nothing is guaranteed.