Aston Villa have successfully signed England striker Tammy Abraham for a whopping £18.25m, marking his return to the Premier League title challengers from Besiktas. The 28-year-old footballer has inked a four-and-a-half-year deal with Aston Villa, making this his first time back in England since he joined Roma in 2021. Previously on loan at Besiktas from Roma, the Turkish club exercised their buy option on Monday for £11m. Consequently, Villa will pay the fee of 21m euros (£18.25m) to them.
Villa boss Unai Emery had been scouting for a striker to bolster Ollie Watkins' efforts and found his answer in Abraham. The manager's interest is not new; it dates back to when Abraham had a loan spell at the club during the 2018-19 season and contributed significantly towards their promotion from the Championship with an impressive record of 26 goals in just 40 games.
Tammy Abraham, Aston Villa striker, said:
"Some clubs play a big part in your journey and stay with you. I've scored goals, faced challenges, and grown as a player and as a man. I'm back at Aston Villa, ready to work and give everything."
In an interesting turn of events, teenager Villa midfielder Yasin Ozcan, who spent this season on loan at Anderlecht, will be joining Besiktas as part of this deal. Roberto Olabe, Villa's president of football operations flew all the way to Turkey last week to watch Abraham play as Besiktas triumphed over Kayserispor with a scoreline reading 1-0. Abraham could potentially make his debut against Brentford on Sunday but is not registered yet for Thursday's Europa League game against Red Bull Salzburg.
Douglas Luiz set to return to Aston Villa
Meanwhile, former Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz is also set to make a comeback to the club on loan. The 27-year-old Brazilian, currently on loan at Nottingham Forest from Juventus, is expected to leave the City Ground before Monday's transfer deadline.
Aston Villa holds an impressive third position in the top flight, trailing just four points behind leaders Arsenal. This comes after their recent 2-0 victory against Newcastle last Sunday. These strategic signings and returns are likely to strengthen Aston Villa's squad significantly as they continue their pursuit of Premier League glory.
