West Ham United in talks with Chelsea over £30million Armando Broja
West Ham are locked in negotiations with Chelsea over a fee for Armando Broja as the club turns its attention to striker help, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.
The international Sky Sports reporter, who has one-and-a-half million Twitter followers, reports that the Albanian forward is the Hammers’ “first target” in attack.
The price is expected to be between £25million and £30million for the 20-year-old, who spent the 2021/22 season on loan at Southampton.
Writing on his Twitter account, the football transfers expert wrote Monday (20 June): “Armando Broja, Chelsea FC striker, is now first target for West Ham.
“Negotiation ongoing over a £25/30millio[n] fee.”
On Di Marzio’s website there is further detail that an agreement is not yet close, but the Irons are working on him as a permanent signing.
Broja made 38 appearances for the Saints in all competitions, scoring nine goals, a season after making 34 appearances and scoring 11 for Vitesse Arnhem in the Eredivisie.
At last?
Fans won’t be holding their breath in the early stages of these negotiations considering how long it took for key defensive signing Nayef Aguerd’s transfer to be confirmed.
But this might finally be the answer in attack that the club has been looking for since Sebastien Haller left, with Michail Antonio the only recognised striker since January 2021.
The Albania international has 14 caps for his country, scoring four times, and has so far stepped up pretty well in his senior experiences over the past couple of seasons.
The club have been linked to a number of goal scorers during 2022 but the Chelsea youngster looks like the right profile of player to flourish at the London Stadium.
Considering the premium placed on strikers the mooted price tag is not extortionate, although it is significant.
It had been thought that Broja might be in line for a role back at Stamford Bridge, especially with Romelu Lukaku already on his way out, but if the Irons can land him it would be a big boost for the club.