Armando Broja left at home as West Ham United in ‘hot’ talks to sign Chelsea striker
Chelsea striker Armando Broja has been left out of the club’s pre-season tour of the USA due to ongoing “hot” negotiations with West Ham, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The newspaper reported in its print edition on Thursday (20 July) that the Albanian is the priority for Hammers manager David Moyes this summer.
Broja missed the second half of last season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in a friendly match with Aston Villa during the 2022 World Cup.
“The Albanian attacker of Chelsea is the first goal of Hammers coach Moyes, who wants to place him in the centre of the attack to have more depth,” according to La Gazzetta dello Sport (page 12, 20 July).
La Gazzetta dello Sport continued by noting that Broja has remained at home as Chelsea take part in their pre-season tour of the USA, with the official reason being that the player needs time to recover from the rupture of his ACL.
However, the publication added that: “In reality, the Blues have left him at home because the negotiation with West Ham is hot.”
Attacking talent needed
West Ham desperately need new faces in all over the pitch if they are to succeed in all competitions next season, an issue they struggled with last time out.
Yes, the East London club lifted the Europa Conference League trophy, but they were also in real danger of being relegated from the Premier League for quite some time before securing their safety.
That wasn’t good enough for a club like West Ham, particularly after they spent big in the summer transfer window.
Moreover, things will get much tougher next season as the Hammers take it up a level in Europe in the Europa League.
Any new attacking talent will be welcome at the London Stadium, especially given how the futures of Gianluca Scamacca, Michail Antonio and Danny Ings are up in the air.
Broja showed glimpses of his potential before his unfortunate injury, and he could represent a good addition to Moyes’s side.
In other West Ham news, one Hammers ace is “pushing” for a move to Saudi Arabia amid “serious interest” in the player.