Southampton are likely to have to find an upgrade on Che Adams this summer, with the striker’s contract set to expire.
Given Che Adams has had a contract offer on the table for the majority of the season – and links with a move to either Wolves or Nottingham Forest show no signs of going away – it is safe to assume he will not be a Saint next season.
Southampton have already confirmed Stuart Armstrong will be departing when his deal ends this summer, whilst Adams and goalkeeper Alex McCarthy have been confirmed as engaged in contract discussions with the club.
Adams has never been prolific in his time at Southampton but did score 15 Championship goals last season to help the club return to the Premier League at the first attempt via the play-offs.
If he does leave then he will need replacing, but manager Russell Martin will know he needs a better calibre of centre-forward to fire Saints to safety next campaign.
Southampton should target Tammy Abraham as Che Adams replacement
Southampton have already been linked with moves for both Ben Brereton Diaz and 18-year-old Argentine Jeronimo Domina, but they will need more firepower.
Brereton Diaz scored a decent six in 14 Premier League games on loan at Sheffield United in the second half of last season, whilst Domina would be signed initially for the under-21 side.
The club may need to show some ambition to sign a striker who guarantees goals at the top level and it is for this reason they should be eyeing up a move for Roma striker Tammy Abraham.
Abraham managed just eight Serie A appearances last season as he missed the majority of the season with an injury sustained on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign.
However, the 11-cap England international could be the striker to ensure an extended stay in the top flight for Southampton.
With his ability to hold the ball up as well as run the channels, Martin would also have the benefit of not having to tweak his tactics to accommodate the 26-year-old.
Roma looking name their price for Abraham this summer
The good news for Southampton is that Roma are looking to offload Abraham this summer.
He won’t come cheap, though, with Roma Press reporting the club are willing to let the former Chelsea striker leave for a fee of around £21.2 million.
Whilst that would be just shy of the club-record £22 million Southampton spent on Kamaldeen Sulemana in January 2023, it is a reasonable for a player who scored 27 goals in all competitions in his debut campaign in Italy in 2021/22 according to Transfermarkt.
Legendary manager Jose Mourinho was the man in charge when Abraham signed for Roma and in November 2021 the striker spoke on how the Portuguese coach helped elevate his game to the next level.
Abraham explained: “Jose has told me just to be a monster,”
“I think one of the things he said was that I was too much of a nice player and that you have to show that aggressiveness as a striker as you’re getting older.
“It’s not always about being nice on the pitch. You need that character, you need that presence to frighten defenders and I think that’s something I’m learning and getting better at.”
Southampton could do with a player that will bully defenders and add a ruggedness to their possession-focused style next season and Abraham could be just the man.