West Ham United have reportedly tabled a €35 million bid to sign 20-year-old Albanian striker Armando Broja from Chelsea this summer.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, West Ham United are ramping up their efforts to sign Chelsea forward Armando Broja in the summer transfer window. The Hammers have submitted an offer worth €35 million to prise the 20-year-old striker away from Chelsea, who seemingly have “no interest” in selling their young prospect.
A Chelsea academy product, Broja, has spent the last two seasons on loan with Vitesse Arnhem and Southampton, respectively. The Albanian hitman impressed largely during his stint at St. Mary’s, where he showed glimpses of his immense talent, scoring nine goals in 28 games in all competitions.
Broja put up a string of stellar performances over the course of the campaign, displaying his searing pace, physical strength and technical prowess. And while he faded towards the tail-end of the season, the fact that this was his first season in the Premier League has put him on the radars of a number of clubs.
Nonetheless, Broja is a hot property in the market, with West Ham, Everton, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, and Italian giants Inter Milan and Napoli all vying for his services this summer. The Hammers have been presumably leading the chase for some weeks now and have stepped up their interest in the Chelsea prospect with an official €35 million bid to jump ahead in the race.
Chelsea manager Tuchel: “Armando Broja’s our player first of all, and as of now we have no interest in selling him”. ? #CFC @NizaarKinsella
“He's here to make an impression”, Tuchel added.
West Ham have submitted €35m bid for Broja, but it’s up to Chelsea now. pic.twitter.com/sOWdMyKk7e
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 16, 2022
While they have also expressed interest in Sassuolo forward Gianluca Scamacca in the last couple of days, Broja appears to be their top striker target, with David Moyes very keen to bring the 20-year-old Chelsea prospect to the London Stadium. That said, Scamacca is also on the verge of joining West Ham in a €40 million deal.
West Ham are in the market for a striker due to continued injury concerns over Michail Antonio. With the Jamaican international well into his thirties, they require a forward who can not only provide proper backup to their talisman at present but also replace him in the long run.
Broja, who is nearly 12 years junior at just 20 years old, clearly fulfils the criteria and has bags full of potential. However, there is a major stumbling block in the pursuit, as the Thomas Tuchel may decide to keep him at Chelsea next season owing to a lack of striker alternatives following Romelu Lukaku’s return to Inter Milan.
Chelsea will put Broja through his paces throughout pre-season before a decision is made on his future. Even if they decide to cash in on their prized asset, he will not be allowed to leave until they sign more attackers. Furthermore, Tuchel has lately put a stop to Broja’s exit rumours, insisting the striker is not for sale despite heavy outside interest.
It will be interesting to see if Chelsea’s stance on the 20-year-old changes following West Ham’s €35 million bid. The Hammers are now awaiting Chelsea’s final decision while also attempting to complete a €38 million move for Lille’s defensive midfield powerhouse Amadou Onana, who has been identified as their main midfield target this summer.
