Alexis Saelemaekers and Tammy Abraham.
Two intertwined (transfer) destinies that will be resolved in the coming weeks, once the season is over. Milan and Roma will have matters to discuss at the table after the failed attempt last January to reach an agreement for the permanent purchases of the Belgian winger and the English striker. Two deals that the main parties involved, both on the Giallorossi and Rossoneri sides, have made clear will be handled completely separately. Due to issues of cost and salaries. And the choices made, and those yet to be made, by Claudio Ranieri on one side and Sergio Conceição on the other could also play a role.
It cannot be ignored that both Saelemaekers and Abraham have had less playing time in recent matches, after experiencing very different moments earlier in the same season. The former Anderlecht player has made 20 league appearances, contributing to 10 goals in total between goals and assists, but in the last two Serie A games against Inter and Fiorentina, he remained on the bench without playing a single minute.
A certainly curious situation for one of the players who managed to establish himself as a reliable figure under three different coaches: De Rossi, Juric, and finally Ranieri. Praised for his tactical intelligence and his ability to combine work rate and quality. His integration into the locker room dynamics was immediate, and his desire to stay with Roma has never been in doubt. But the story is far from over, and more chapters will be needed to determine his future, torn between staying in the capital, returning to a Milan side headed toward yet another coaching change, or a sale abroad for financial reasons.
A situation not too different from that of Abraham, who temporarily said goodbye to Roma last August, not without a hint of regret, despite being under contract until 2027, and who in a month could once again find himself in limbo. Suspended between various hypotheses and possible destinations. His season on loan at Milan has been a peculiar one. Initially a declared second choice behind Álvaro Morata in the first half of the season and the alternative to €35 million man Santiago Gimenez in the second half, only to be overtaken in recent weeks by the reborn Luka Jovic, the Englishman still managed to collect 44 appearances across all competitions, with 10 goals and 7 assists, some of which were decisive and entered the history of this 2024/2025 season, such as the one in the Italian Super Cup final and the one in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final, both against Inter.
With the unexpected and resurgent return of Jovic, Abraham has again slipped down in Conceição’s pecking order, and with the need not to cast doubt on the investment made for Gimenez just a few months ago, the risk is that he’ll see less playing time from now until the end of the season. From a market perspective, under favorable economic conditions, the Rossoneri are not ruling out the idea of keeping him for future seasons, but the €5.9 million gross salary agreed with Roma is a problem that’s not easy to solve.
Source: Calciomercato.com
