Brighton hold a key advantage over Premier League rivals Newcastle in the race to sign Tammy Abraham, according to a Daily Mail report.
The newspaper claim that Brighton’s ace in the pack is manager Chris Hughton and he will be looking to make the most of his strong relationship with Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo in his club’s pursuit of the Blues attacker.
Emenalo will have a major input on where Abraham will be allowed to play next season, after the youngster was granted permission to leave the club on loan for a second successive season.
The report also states that the Chelsea senior man believes Brighton under Hughton to be an appealing proposition for Abraham next season, while the ‘relatively close proximity’ of The Seagulls’ base of operations on the south coast is also a favourable attribute.
Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez has made a personal bid of his own to ensure Abraham moves to St. James’ Park this summer, but Chelsea’s reported preference for Brighton could put them at a disadvantage.
Both Brighton and Newcastle have already been given the green light to pursue a deal for the 19-year-old goalscorer, who netted a stunning 26 goals from 48 appearances for Championship outfit Bristol City last term.
The Northern Echo, meanwhile, claim that Newcastle officials will meet with the attacker’s representatives next week in an attempt to thrash out a deal.
Chelsea have no intention of allowing Abraham to quit Stamford Bridge on a permanent transfer, but manager Antonio Conte is keen for him to gain further Premier League experience before stepping up to the first-team.