After the loan move to Southampton FC at the beginning of this season, Armando Broja, the 20-year-old Albanian forward, has been playing exceptional football. It proved why Chelsea has been trying to keep him at any cost. He was born in England, and he represents the Albania national team internationally.
Under the guidance of Ralph Hasenhuttl, the Southampton manager, he has developed a lot. This can be seen in his performance in the last couple of months.
Broja signed his first professional contract with Chelsea after agreeing to a two-year deal. On 8 March, he made his professional debut in a 4–0 home win against Everton after coming on as a substitute in the 86th minute in place of Olivier Giroud. This debut happened after reaching 20 Academy goals for the season with a strike against Milwall at Stamford Bridge in the FA Youth Cup. In July 2021, Broja signed a new five-year contract with the club.
After a good season in Academy football, Broja headed to Holland to experience an entire season on men’s football with Vitesse Arnhem. The striker gave a strong account of himself in the top flight of Dutch football, recording 11 goals in 34 appearances, making him one of the top-scoring teenagers in Europe. He was their joint-top scorer in the Eredivisie for the 2020–21 season.
Broja was loaned to fellow Premier League club Southampton for the 2021–22 season. On his debut on 25 August, he scored two goals in an 8–0 win over League Two side Newport County in the second round of the EFL Cup. On 16 October, Broja scored his first league goal for the club in a 1–0 win against Leeds United. He became the first Albanian player to score in the Premier League.
This season’s form hasn’t gone unnoticed, with the Albanian attracting interest from several top European clubs, including a few in the Premier League.
Southampton are desperate to make their temporary deal for Broja a permanent one, but with Chelsea tempted about the idea of keeping the Albanian and interest from Arsenal, Hassenhuttl might face an uphill battle to acquire him.
Now rumours are coming from London that Thomas Tuchel will be open to selling the highly talented player to inject some cash into the team.
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was asked about Broja’s future at the west London club in January, but the German was not too keen on opening up on the matter.
Tuchel said: “He’s our player, and he’s doing good, but at the same time, it’s only half a season, so he needs to continue to improve and to make his statement at Southampton. We have a reason why they are our players, they have quality and mentality, and now they are out there on their own in different environments and clubs and proving themselves.”
