?Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock has criticised Chelsea for failing to show ‘class’ after a deal for Tammy Abraham fell through this summer.

Warnock had been keen on signing the 20-year-old but the Blues apparently did not return the ?Cardiff manager’s phone calls, with the striker eventually moving to ?Aston Villa. The veteran manager has now criticised ?Chelsea after he held off on other deals in order to sign Abraham.


Speaking to ?Standard Sport, Warnock said: “I wanted Tammy Abraham from day one. 

“I spoke to Eddie Newton (Chelsea’s loan player technical coach) about it, but he ended up at Aston Villa. I was really disappointed they didn’t even come back to me. I thought I at least deserved a phone call saying ‘sorry Neil, he’s not joining’. 

The Englishman continued: “it might have been because our deadline was three weeks before the Championship’s. Perhaps they weren’t sure at the time and then he ends up leaving at the end of the month, when only a move to a Championship club is possible. But even then, a phone call would have been better and shown a bit of class.


Abraham enjoyed great success in the ?Championship with ?Brist?ol City during the 2016/17 season, scoring 26 goals, but struggled in the ?Premier League with ?Swansea City. The youngster managed only eight goals at the Liberty stadium and the Swans were subsequently relegated.

Despite his poor season last year, Warnock was adamant that playing at a higher level would be better for Abraham’s development. 

The Yorkshire-man said: “Tammy would have been my main man in the Premier League – surely that would have been better for him? I don’t understand it. Surely they would want him playing in the Premier League?

“I don’t think it was a question over the size of the loan fee – we would have paid it. I just the felt the way we played, he would have enjoyed it and had an impact. I missed out on a few players waiting for him too, which disappointed me. But that’s life.”