Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that West Ham United have not made any progress on signing Armando Broja because of the price tag set for him.
According to reports, West Ham have Broja at the top of their wishlist this summer and are willing to pay £30m for his services after he spent last season on loan at Southampton.
Whilst on loan with the Saints, Broja scored six times in 32 appearances in the Premier League, which has caught the eye of several top-flight sides, but Chelsea could yet opt to keep him at the club for next season.
Despite West Ham showing interest in Broja, Jones claimed to GiveMeSport that there hasn’t been much progress in negotiations due to the price tag Chelsea have set for him, while there is yet to be any willingness from the Blues to use the Albanian as part of a potential deal for Declan Rice, who Thomas Tuchel’s side remain keen on.
He said: “So far, that hasn’t happened. West Ham have made contact, and it’s been about what’s his figure. And Chelsea have basically stuck a price tag on him that West Ham aren’t going to touch, which is between 40 and 50 million. So, at the moment, there hasn’t been any negotiating around that.”
Would you be happy with Broja at West Ham?Yes
No
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TIF Thoughts on Jones’s comments…
Broja impressed last season in his first full Premier League campaign at just 20 years old, so he could be ready to make the step up into the Chelsea first team. However, he might not get consistent game time if he was to remain at Stamford Bridge, so for his development, a move away might be the better option for him in the long term.
Last season, West Ham had just one recognisable striker in their squad, so David Moyes will almost certainly be looking to bring in another frontman before next season starts. We think Broja would be a good option to challenge Michail Antonio for a place in the side, but with his price being set so high, it looks like the Hammers could yet pull out of the deal.