Exclusive: Shaun Wright-Phillips discusses Chelsea's transfer policy
Armando Broja is determined to stay at Chelsea despite the threat of another striker arriving at Stamford Bridge in January. Fulham are among the teams rumoured to be keen on the 22-year-old, whose Blues career has been ravaged by injury issues over the past 12 months.
Broja returned from a devastating ACL rupture in September, but he was back on the sidelines within a month due to a separate knee issue. The forward has made two substitute appearances since returning to fitness, and a run of games may be on the cards between now and the New Year.
That depends on Broja ousting Nicolas Jackson as the spearhead of Chelsea’s attack. And competition up front will only ramp up when Christopher Nkunku comes into the fold, with the Frenchman projected to be match ready in December.
Three could become four in January as Todd Boehly is believed to regard Napoli star Victor Osimhen as his top striker target. A big-money move would be bad news for Broja, Jackson and Nkunku’s quest to nail down a spot in Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI.
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Fulham are keen to offer Broja an exit route this winter, but Express Sport understands that such an approach would not tempt him away from Stamford Bridge. The player’s camp are yet to receive a formal proposal from the Cottagers, with the January window just over a month away.
Broja is rated highly by Chelsea staff and he signed a six-year contract last September. Real Madrid have previously enquired about the youngster, but West Ham came closest to thrashing out a deal in 2022.
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While Broja was open to signing for the Hammers at the time, Chelsea ultimately blocked the move, which convinced him that a bright future may lie ahead in west London. The Albania international, who was born in Slough, has an admirer in Pochettino, which has been pivotal in firming up his reluctance to leave.
“We are keeping one or two eyes on Armando Broja,” said the Chelsea boss back in August. “We cannot forget him. We cannot stop him. We really believe in him โ we know how important he can be for Chelsea.
“We need to be careful. Sometimes we cannot go for some player [in the transfer market] that maybe we already have. We need to be patient and adapt our squad and get positive results while waiting for Armando to be fully fit.”
Broja has scored twice in 25 first-team appearances for the Blues, having previously gained valuable senior experience on loan at Southampton and Vitesse.
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