Ex-Chelsea and Aston Villa hero emerges as Bournemouth target, Leicester look to hijack Crystal Palace reunion

With less than a week to go until the start of the new Premier League season, clubs from around the country are working frantically to get a number of key deals over the line.

Bournemouth find themselves on the hunt for a striker after losing top goalscorer Dominic Solanke for a figure in the region of £65m. The Tottenham-bound striker netted 19 goals in 38 appearances last term and has been a talismanic figure for the Cherries for a number of seasons. Manager Andoni Iraola is determined to sign a quality replacement for Solanke and has reportedly turned his attention to a forward with bags of Premier League experience in Tammy Abraham, according to the Daily Mirror.

The 11-time England international like Solanke is an imposing figure at 6ft 4in and is blessed with great aerial ability as well as the technical traits to bring other attackers into the game. Abraham rose to prominence at Chelsea and after a string of successful loan spells at Championship level with Bristol City and Aston Villa was promoted into the first team by then manager Frank Lampard.

The 26-year-old scored 15 goals in 34 Premier League games during the 2019/20 season to fire the Blues into the Champions League places during a season where the club had a transfer embargo in place. Injuries and signings hampered Abraham’s progress the following season as he managed just six goals in 22 games, but he was still able to play a small part in his team’s Champions League triumph as he fired in one goal in six matches.

Abraham was deemed surplus to requirements by Thomas Tuchel at the time, but went on to prove himself as a formidable forward in Serie A by bagging 27 goals across all competitions en route to winning the Europa Conference League. He managed eight in 38 during his second season in Italy but was absent most of last season due to injury and managed just eight appearances.

The Roma forward is the same age as Solanke and has a similar goal record at Premier League level. The pair ironically played together in the Chelsea academy as well.

Abraham is not thought to be a major part of Daniele De Rossi’s plans at the Stadio Olimpico next season, following the arrival of Ukrainian forward Artem Dovbyk and could be made available, according to One Football.

Leicester City look to hijack fairytale Crystal Palace reunion

Premier League newboys Leicester City are working on a deal to sign Crystal Palace icon Wilfried Zaha from Galatasaray on a season-long loan deal, according to The Athletic.

Zaha registered nine goals and three assists in 30 appearances last season whilst winning the Turkish league and cup double in his debut campaign. However, he is already considering a shock return to English football.

The Ivory Coast international, who spent almost the entirety of his 13-year career at Crystal Palace, is also a target for his former club just 12 months on from his departure, according to Sky Sports News.

Zaha is regarded as one of Crystal Palace’s most talented players of the modern era. He scored 90 goals, including 68 in the Premier League during his 458 appearances in Red and Blues, leaving him third on the club’s list of all-time appearance makers.

The 31-year-old is entering the twilight years of his career but renowned for his excellent speed, agility and ability to produce moments of magic in games. This would be crucial to Leicester’s hopes of survival following last season’s promotion and would provide Palace with a welcome boost after Michael Olise’s departure to Bayern Munich.