Chelsea are reportedly considering a permanent transfer for Armando Broja, with Southampton keen to keep the young forward at their club.
According to The Guardian, Southampton want to sign Armando Broja on a permanent transfer knowing other clubs are also interested in the 20-year-old striker. Chelsea are mulling over the prospect of bringing him back to Stamford Bridge and things could be clearer in the coming days with a decision looking imminent on the Albanian’s future.
Chelsea have had terrific success with young players coming out of their academy and loan system. In recent years, the west Londoners have conducted massive business and gained some handsome fees for their young stars heading out of the club to join teams across the continent.
Fikayo Tomori, Marc Guehi and Valentino Livramento are recent examples of the Premier League giants getting top value for their academy stars while turning a massive profit due to their sales. While some have slipped through their ranks over the years for cheap sums, some continue to shine on loan.
One of them is Albanian striker Armando Broja, who has performed at the highest levels. In the summer, the forward signed on loan with Southampton and has been one of their shining stars in recent weeks. The striker has registered seven goals across all competitions, with five coming in the Premier League.
While we are only at the halfway point of the season, Southampton seem to be in a rush to complete a permanent move for the striker. Parent club Chelsea have made no comments on the situation as they are not in a hurry to evaluate offers just yet.
They are prepared to wait until the end of the season before deciding the striker’s future. Seeing the success achieved by other academy graduates such as Mason Mount, Trevoh Chalobah and Callum Hudson-Odoi, Chelsea fans are keen on the club to give players like Broja a chance in the first team.
Considering how crowded the current Chelsea forward line is, there is little hope for Broja to be integrated into the system and play regularly. Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz all occupy rotational forward positions, and Thomas Tuchel may not change that just yet for an unproven forward.
Broja has surely hit a rich vein of form since early December for Southampton. However, the Blues are only going to judge the 20-year-old striker’s overall progress between now and the end of May. The decision could be accelerated from Chelsea’s perspective if the Saints make a financially attractive offer now, though.