Chelsea flop set for surprise Champions League move

Updated: 1 Jun 2024 03:13 CDT
3 min read

Armando Broja, Chelsea, 2023/24 — © IMAGO

Armando Broja could be set for a surprise move to Bundesliga runners-up VfB Stuttgart, according to German media.

The Albanian has had a tough two years at Chelsea. The academy graduate was once regarded as a massive talent, but a heartbreaking ACL injury kept him out of action for a year, with the striker only making his long-awaited return in late 2023.

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Despite scoring a goal shortly after his comeback, Broja failed to really kick on and eventually lost the trust of then-Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino. In January, the striker was loaned to west London rivals Fulham but again failed to have an impact.

As part of the deal, it was agreed that Fulham would be able to use the striker for free if he played a certain amount of games, but such was his ineffectiveness that the Cottagers decided it would be more useful to just pay Chelsea the loan fee they owed instead of allowing Broja to step on the pitch more than eight times.

The 22-year-old is fully expected to be offloaded by the Blues this summer in a bid to raise much-needed 'pure profit.'

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Stuttgart keen

Broja has been linked with a host of clubs in recent days, ranging from Ligue 1 runners-up all the way to Championship side Watford. It is evidently unclear quite what Broja's actual level is.

Fabrizio Romano has urged calm regarding the links to Monaco as he is only on their shortlist but not considered a priority target. His former loan club Southampton have also been linked.

TalkSPORT has also thrown the name of VfB Stuttgart in the mix. The Swabians will likely be in the market for a striker this summer as scoring sensation Serhou Guirassy looks increasingly likely to depart, with Borussia Dortmund recently stepping up their pursuit of the Guinean.

Stuttgart beat Bayern to second place in the Bundesliga standings on the final day of last season and will feature in the Champions League next term. Sebastian Honeß's side don't want to break the bank, however, as they will likely have to spend €20 million of their limited budget on Brighton loanee Deniz Undav.

Broja's reported price tag of around €35m could, therefore, prove a problem. AC Milan, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Everton are also credited with an interest.

Read more about: Bundesliga, Premier League, Chelsea, VfB Stuttgart, Armando Broja