West Ham United are leading the race to sign Chelsea striker Armando Broja for £30 million ($37 million), but they will face competition for an in-demand youngster before any deal can be finalized.
Napoli, Atalanta, and Everton are among the clubs interested in signing the promising 20-year-old, who is looking for a guarantee of a regular first-team play in 2022-23.
AC Milan, Inter, and Newcastle have all expressed interest in Broja, but no offers are imminent for a frontman that impressed while on loan at Southampton last season.
Will The Blues Sell Broja?
Chelsea prefers to wait until pre-season to debate Broja’s future, with Thomas Tuchel keen to see the striker.
Broja, on the other hand, has received no guarantees from the coaching staff or the club that he will be given a chance to show himself.
The Cobham academy graduate is only being given the opportunity to compete for a place on the Blues’ friendly tour of the United States.
While Romelu Lukaku is on the verge of rejoining Inter Milan on loan, Chelsea may attempt to bring in attacking reinforcements this summer, with Man City star Raheem Sterling among those being sought.
A combination of these reasons has led Broja to question whether his future lies outside of Stamford Bridge, but he is under contract until 2026 and his current club has a strong negotiating position.
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Is Broja Up To The Job At Chelsea?
Broja is one of the few strikers in English football who has played as many games as he has in recent seasons.
He made 38 appearances for Southampton in all competitions in 2021-22, scoring nine goals and providing one assist.
That goal count isn’t particularly impressive, but he was the youngest striker to start regularly in the English Premier League despite only turning 20 during the previous campaign.
Broja’s heroics followed a season with Vitesse in 2020-21, in which he became Europe’s best teenage goalscorer with 11 goals and three assists in 34 appearances.
Furthermore, he has been an increasingly vital member of the Albanian national squad, making 14 appearances thus far.
Even with a firm base, Chelsea is one of Europe’s most formidable clubs, and Broja will face stiff competition for a spot from elite internationals.
Last season, many players in a west London attacking unit, notably Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, and Timo Werner, were frustrated by a perceived lack of minutes.
That demonstrates how difficult it is to establish yourself as a regular starter at Chelsea, with Broja now considering his alternatives.
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