Reports coming out of the English press claim that Chelsea could offload on-loan striker at Southampton, Armando Broja, in the summer as they prepare for another busy transfer window.
The young Armenian striker is a target for a few clubs including Arsenal who had a poor January transfer window. The Gunners lost Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Barcelona for free while also losing a few other players from their youth ranks and the senior team either permanently or on loan to various clubs across Europe.
The Gunners are in a desperate need for a striker ahead of the coming season, as they prepare for the exits of Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah who have both chosen not to renew their expiring contracts with the Gunners.
A number of targets have been linked to the North London side and Amanda Broja is the latest. His performances while on loan at Southampton from Chelsea have caught the eye of the top brass at the club and they have been monitoring his situation since.
Reports from the Evening Standard now claim that Chelsea is not planning to integrate the striker into their squad next season and will be open to offers for the 20 year-old who they hope to sell for a considerable price.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel had high praise for the striker earlier in the season after his blistering start to life at St Mary’s Stadium. More recently, he was asked about the club’s plans for Broja, but refused to comment on anything concrete about the matter.
“He’s our player and he’s doing good, but at the same time it’s only half a season, so he needs to continue to improve and to make his statement at Southampton,” Tuchel said in January.
“We have a reason why they are our players, they have quality and mentality and now they are out there on their own in different environments and clubs, and proving themselves.”
Tuchel refuses to discuss Broja’s future
The German tactician also said of the 20-year-old’s future at Chelsea: “Armando’s getting better and better, he’s a very unique player with unique strengths in his game – he has speed, he is robust and he is a goal scorer.
“First of all now is not the moment to discuss about the summer – it is the moment for him to stay calm and keep on improving.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal is going to face a battle from Southampton who are currently exploring every possible option to keep the striker beyond this season after his loan deal expires.
Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl made this clear during the January transfer window. “We will find the right conversation with the player. The agent, the club, what they want, what Chelsea wants,” he said.
“I think we should let the young lad develop his game. This is the most important for him, to play games.
“He likes it here, he enjoys it here. We have a young team here. These are all reasons why he has developed his game and why he is getting better. In the end, we have to find the right decision for the boy.
“When it’s a win win win for everybody, then we will find the right decision for the summer. As long as he is our player, we hopefully will have much fun with him and try to make him better.”
