Chelsea: £30m star now 'closer to staying' at Stamford Bridge | OneFootball

Chelsea striker Armando Broja is ‘actually closer to staying than leaving’ the club at this moment in time, according to The Express journalist Ryan Taylor.

Broja has been the subject of interest from several Premier League sides following an impressive 2021/22 campaign on loan at Southampton and could be handed an opportunity to shine at Stamford Bridge as a result.

Sky Sports reported last month that West Ham United launched a £25 million bid for Broja, with a further £5m potentially arriving in the shape of add-ons.

TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook recently informed GiveMeSport that the Hammers hadn’t received a response, although they would still ‘love to sign him’.

However, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel insisted that they have ‘no interest in selling’ Broja during the club’s recent pre-season tour of the US.

“Armando is our player first of all and we have, at the moment, no interest in selling him,” insisted the German tactician. “He is here to make an impression after he was on loan at Southampton.”

Fellow Premier League sides Everton, Newcastle United and Southampton have also been credited with an interest in Broja, but it seems as though he is likely to stay put in west London.

What has Taylor said about Broja?

When asked about Broja’s future, Taylor revealed to GMS that the Albania international is actually more likely to be a Chelsea player for 2022/23 than turn out for another side.

In an interview, he said: “He’s actually closer to staying than leaving at the moment because (Romelu) Lukaku has gone to Inter, and Chelsea are kind of looking at defensive options at the moment.

“They do want to sign attackers, but the focus is defence at the moment.”

Where does Broja fit in at Chelsea?

With Romelu Lukaku re-joining Inter Milan on loan, Broja is currently the only out-and-out striker in Tuchel’s squad bar Michy Batshuayi, who is expected to imminently depart.

Timo Werner is often selected on the left-wing by his compatriot and has also been heavily linked with a return to former club RB Leipzig after struggling to make an impression in the Premier League.

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Therefore, Broja could be seen as a good alternative to Kai Havertz by Tuchel, allowing his side to play more direct if needed to.

Broja bagged nine goals and laid on one assist in 38 appearances for the Saints last term, a tally he would surely be able to build on if given a chance to shine at Chelsea.