Darren Bent feels that Tammy Abraham must re-establish himself on the pitch before he demands a higher wage packet.
Recent reports claimed that the England international was unhappy with the fact that he was earning considerably less than club and international teammate Callum Hudson-Odoi. According to The Times, Abraham feels that he should be on a contract that matches his colleague’s new deal.
Hudson-Odoi penned a new contract back in September, tying him to the club for a further five years (via The Guardian). However, the winger has had limited game-time this season, playing just 22 Premier League matches and starting only six. He did manage to contribute three senior goals and six assists (via Transfermarkt) but has fallen down the pecking order with Christian Pulisic being Frank Lampard’s firm first choice as an attacking midfielder.
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Hudson-Odoi’s new deal sees him pocket a handsome £120,000 per week but, with Abraham still earning just £57,600 weekly, he feels he is also due a pay rise.
However, Darren Bent has claimed that Abraham isn’t currently in a position to make these demands. Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “If you look at Abraham’s numbers they read pretty good but the first half of the season he was superb and after that, the second half of the season with the injuries he wasn’t great.
“He’s going to struggle to get that contract money that he wants. I think he needs to forget about the contract talks, concentrate on having a good end to the season against Bayern, a good pre-season and then assess it from there.”
Indeed, Abraham was left on the bench following the restart in favour of in-form Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman scored seven goals in 10 games, with the 22-year-old limited to just cameo appearances and three goals in 13 appearances (via Sofascore).
Despite his season hitting a slump towards the end, Abraham was in superb form prior to the enforced break. The striker was one of the Premier League’s highest scorers and finished the campaign with 15 goals and four assists (via Transfermarkt).
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“You can’t warrant and demand those kinds of wages if your performances out on the pitch haven’t been up to scratch,” Bent stated. “If he concentrates on his performances, the money will take care of itself.”
Certainly, Abraham’s recent form warrants better than to be one of the lowest earners at the club. However, with the addition of Timo Werner and Frank Lampard looking to sign another marquee forward, questions hang over how much game time the Englishman will actually get next season.
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