Why Chelsea should sell Armando Broja amid Premier League interest
James Shearman
- Updated: 17 Jul 2022 09:25 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea striker Armando Broja is subject to interest from David Moyes' West Ham, who have tabled a £25 million bid.
Broja spent the 2021-22 season on loan at Southampton, scoring nine goals in all competitions.
Now, the 20-year-old has returned to Chelsea, where he is on the preseason tour of the United States, but it remains unclear whether he is part of Thomas Tuchel's plans.
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West Ham have identified Broja as a forward to compete with Michail Antonio, though the Albanian might seek a guaranteed starter role should he move on.
Fellow Premier League clubs Everton and Newcastle are also interested, according to The Guardian, while Napoli have also been linked.
Why Chelsea should sell Armando Broja
Chelsea have often been criticised for letting go of their academy products without giving them a chance in the first-team squad - Marc Guehi and Valentino Livramento were the victims of this in the 2021-22 campaign.
And, this season, The Blues look like making the same mistake with Levi Colwill, who has the potential to develop into an elite centre-back.
However, in the case of Armando Broja, selling a young talent might not be such a bad idea.
Broja is Premier League ready, having performed well at times in a Southampton shirt, though he is a long way off earning a place in the Chelsea team.
While there is more to his game than goals, a tally of just six in 32 Premier League appearances last season is underwhelming - even for a youngster.
Mount's fantastic late goal seals the win! 😁
🔵 2-1 🟡 | #FCSeries pic.twitter.com/4SqD0cVUHz— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 17, 2022
He could fulfill a backup role at Stamford Bridge quite well, as a handy option to bring off the bench, but Chelsea seriously need a top class striker.
The addition of Raheem Sterling is fantastic, but The Blues won't compete for the Premier League title without a new number nine - it's as simple as that.
Indeed, Diego Costa lead the line in Chelsea's last two league titles, and Didier Drogba was up front for the previous three.
And, while new owner Todd Boehly has plenty of cash to burn, Thomas Tuchel's transfer budget won't be unlimited.
So, if the west London club can recoup £30m or more for Broja, they should take it and reinvest into a first-team ready forward such as Rafael Leao.
