Aston Villa have completed the signing of England striker Tammy Abraham from Besiktas for £18 million, marking the forward’s return to the club six years after his first spell at Villa Park.
The 28-year-old has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract and returns to the Premier League for the first time since leaving Chelsea for Roma in 2021.
Abraham had been on loan at Besiktas from Roma, but the Turkish club activated an £11m purchase option earlier this week, allowing Villa to conclude the deal directly with them.
Emery adds depth in attack
Villa head coach Unai Emery had been seeking attacking reinforcement to support Ollie Watkins and has long admired Abraham.
The striker previously played for Villa during the 2018-19 season, scoring 26 goals as the club secured promotion from the Championship.
Abraham is eligible to feature in Sunday’s league match against Brentford but will not be available for Thursday’s Europa League tie against Red Bull Salzburg due to registration rules.
As part of the agreement, teenage midfielder Yasin Ozcan, who has been on loan at Anderlecht, will join Besiktas.
Career journey and motivation
Abraham joined Roma from Chelsea for £34m in 2021 and enjoyed a prolific debut season, scoring 27 goals and helping the club win the Europa Conference League.
Injuries disrupted his momentum in subsequent campaigns, including a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2023.
He later had loan spells at AC Milan and Besiktas, scoring 12 goals in 24 appearances for the Turkish side this season.
A key factor in Abraham’s decision to return to England is his ambition to revive his international career ahead of this summer’s World Cup. He has not represented England since 2022.
Villa, currently third in the Premier League and four points behind leaders Arsenal, see Abraham’s arrival as a timely addition as they compete on multiple fronts.