Chelsea fighting to keep striker amid interest from PL rival

Transfer News: Chelsea are fighting to keep Armando Broja at the club

Chelsea are keen to keep Armando Broja at the club this summer amid interest from rivals West Ham United. Broja had to cut short his pre-season tour and return back to London thanks to an injury setback.

Fabrizio Romano on Twitter revealed that Chelsea are fighting to keep the Albanian striker at the club, with coach Thomas Tuchel said to be a big fan of the striker. West Ham are pushing to get a deal over the line for the 20-year-old.

A loan deal is said to be out of the option, with only a permanent move being discussed. Broja broke onto the scene last season when he showed his quality to everyone while on loan at Southampton.

The Albanian was named in the pre-season squad for Chelsea and even travelled to the United States for the training camp. However, his trip was cut short as he was forced to return back to London due to an injury. The player could not get a chance to impress Tuchel and is now involved in a tug of war between two London clubs.

As for Tuchel, he has been impressed with Broja’s will to perform better and play for the team. The 20-year-old was in fine form last season as he scored nine goals in 32 appearances for the Saints in the league. He returned back to Chelsea this summer as one of the best young strikers in the Premier League.

The Blues are in desperate need of a number nine. Romelu Lukaku, who was Chelsea’s top-scorer despite his willingness to leave, has been shipped out on loan to Inter Milan for next season. This leaves Timo Werner as the preferred number nine and the German is known for his inconsistency in front of goal.

Unfortunately, the Blues have shown no sign to sign a new striker this summer. Having added Raheem Sterling in his ranks, Tuchel is now looking to fix his defence. This clearly shows why Chelsea are fighting to keep their academy striker in the team.

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A tall figure, he is a perfect target man in the box. Chelsea fans will hope that the club can keep him and the 20-year-old improves himself further under Tuchel.