ExWHUEmployee has revealed that West Ham United’s pursuit of youngster Armando Broja is being delayed due to Chelsea wanting to try out the striker before the start of the season but insists Broja still wants the move.
The Hammers have been looking to bolster their forward options this summer with Broja being their number one target to compete with current star man Michail Antonio for the starting position next summer.
However, despite both West Ham and Broja wanting to get a deal done, Chelsea has been reluctant to let him go permanently and would favour a loan deal after Thomas Tuchel gets the chance to try him out in the first team, according to Ex.
He wrote on the West Ham Way Patreon page, “Broja deal is being delayed because of how difficult Chelsea are making the transfer. The manager especially wants to try him out more and this injury he sustained has setback the process.
“The player is still keen to talk to the club but negotiations with Chelsea will continue to try and persuade them to accept our transfer proposal. The club are still certain they want a permanent deal whereas Chelsea are more open to a loan deal.”
TIF Thoughts on Ex’s comments…
At the time of writing, the Hammers only have Antonio as a recognised striker on the books and, therefore, bringing in a younger option for depth and competition is essential for them this summer.
Broja would be a great addition to the East London club next season as just at the age of 20, he has a lot of time to develop and can play still play in important fixtures if he was to be a backup to Antonio as they have Europa Conference League football, which they will surely want to win.
Last season Broja picked up nine goals in all competitions for Southampton, which is impressive for his first run of games in the Premier League at such young age. He also showed his defensive capabilities by ranking in the 86th percentile for aerials duels won and the 82nd for interceptions compared to other strikers in Europe’s top five leagues.
Chelsea have lost a number of players this summer already, with one being their record transfer signing, striker Romelu Lukaku, so it makes sense why they are hesitant to sell a player like Broja at all, let alone to a London rival.
However, according to Ex, Broja has made it clear he wants to leave the club so therefore surely it would be best for them to cash in as quickly as possible before West Ham signs another target like Gianluca Scamacca, and so they can then bring someone in with enough time to settle before the Premier League starts again.
Will West Ham sign Broja?Yes
No
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