Chelsea could reportedly let Armando Broja leave the club in this summer’s transfer window, and he’s not short of suitors after an impressive loan spell at Southampton this season. The 20-year-old scored nine goals in all competitions for the Saints, showing himself to be a hugely promising prospect for the future, with Thomas Tuchel now said to be keen to take a look at him in pre-season, according to Goal.
Still, the report adds that Chelsea could be tempted by offers in the region of £25million for Broja, with the likes of Newcastle and West Ham among his main suitors. Goal also claim that Southampton are keen to keep Broja, while there is also interest in the Albania international from abroad, with Serie A trio AC Milan, Inter Milan and Napoli named as admirers.
Chelsea might want to be careful here, however, as they’ve let some top young players leave too soon in the past. The Blues notably failed to give chances to talents like Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne, who have gone on to become two of the best players in the world.
We’re also seeing Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori impressing in Italy since leaving Stamford Bridge, so Tuchel would be wise to give Broja a proper chance to impress him in pre-season. Newcastle could do well to land Broja as they look to continue building a squad that can challenge for the top four under their wealthy and ambitious new owners, but it remains to be seen if he’d fancy a move to St James’ Park just at the moment, with a huge rebuilding job still needed before they can become a genuine force nearer the top of the table.
West Ham, meanwhile, have long been short of depth up front, and Broja seems ideal to ensure they’re not too reliant on Michail Antonio again next season, which could perhaps see them get those few extra points needed to be genuine top four contenders.