“Not discussing” – Rival manager offers update on Chelsea loanee’s future

Ralph Hasenhuttl claims that there is no discussion on the future of Armando Broja

Speaking to Hampshire Live as quoted by Football London, Southampton manager Ralph Hassenhuttl has clarified that there is no discussion on the continuity of Chelsea loanee Armando Broja beyond this season.

The Albanian striker has been making waves at Southampton this season. Playing in a front-two alongside Che Adams. The 20-year-old striker has scored an impressive nine goals in 32 games for Southampton across all competitions.

Chelsea gave their forward a new 5-year contract before loaning him out to Southampton, which clearly indicates that they rate him highly and see him as a part of their future. The Albanian is an out and out striker who thrives on constantly making runs in behind the defence. Broja has done well to replace Danny Ings at St Mary’s, after the Englishman’s move to Aston Villa.

With such an impressive season, it comes as no surprise that the Saints may want to keep him. Speaking about his future, Hassenhutl said that there was no discussion regarding his continuity yet.

“We are not discussing this at the moment. We all know the situation at Chelsea, there are a lot of changes there and it is not so easy to find the right person to talk to about futures of players. It is easier to concentrate on your job and what we can do between now and the end of the season. The higher up the table we finish, the more attractive we are for players and this is the goal for the last seven games.”

Huge future?

Chelsea have a plethora of forwards but Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner are their only two natural striking options. Werner has been a shadow of the player we signed from Leipzig while Romelu Lukaku has blown hot and cold since his return to Stamford Bridge from Inter Milan last summer.

At 20, Broja could be an ideal candidate to lead our front line in the future. With proper management and development, the Albanian has the potential to become a very prolific goal scorer for us.

We also saw Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud leave the club last year. That has already freed up a spot for Broja if he is to play in our Blue jersey next season. It is important that we look out for the future and not just focus on the present.

Although Werner looks to be having a sort of redemption at Stamford Bridge, it could be yet another false start. Lukaku is failing to convince and is constantly linked with a move away from Chelsea this season.

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All the stars seem to be aligning to make Armando Broja a senior striker for the Chelsea squad next season. If he can continue performing in the same vein, the sky’s the limit for the Albanian.