NEWCASTLE UNITED will make a renewed approach for Tammy Abraham if Aston Villa fail to make it to the Premier League in Monday’s Championship play-off final.

Abraham has spent the season on loan at Villa Park, and will be one of Villa’s key players as they look to secure a return to the top-flight by beating Derby County at Wembley.

If Villa win in two days’ time, they will be offered first refusal if Chelsea look to move Abraham on permanently this summer.

However, if Derby prevail in the final, Newcastle will look to take advantage by reaffirming their interest in the forward with the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge.

Newcastle’s attempts to sign Abraham will not be contingent on a decision over Rafael Benitez’s future as the 21-year-old has figured prominently in the club’s scouting reports for a number of seasons.

The Magpies tried to sign Abraham on loan in the summer of 2017, only for the striker to opt to join Swansea City on a season-long loan from Chelsea instead.

Newcastle did not rekindle their interest last summer as Benitez’s priority at the time was to re-sign Kenedy on loan from Stamford Bridge, but the club’s senior scouting team have continued to monitor Abraham closely and have been impressed by his performances in the Championship.

Abraham has scored 26 goals in all competitions for Villa this season, and finished the conventional Championship campaign as the division’s joint second-highest goalscorer.

Whatever happens on Monday, he is due to return to the Chelsea ranks for pre-season training later this summer, and the Blues could opt to keep him as part of their Premier League squad for next season.

Chelsea are short of attacking options, with question marks continuing to hang over the long-term future of Gonzalo Higuain, and are preparing to launch an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport against FIFA’s decision to impose a transfer ban that is due to run for the next two windows for a breach of regulations relating to the transfer of young players.

If that ban is upheld, Chelsea will be extremely reluctant to sell anyone this summer. However, Maurizio Sarri has previously hinted that he does not see Abraham playing a central role in his long-term plans.