Arsenal have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Chelsea's on-loan striker Armando Broja.
As football.london reported last month, the Gunners are currently monitoring the 20-year-old's situation, with his future at Stamford Bridge far from certain.
Broja is currently out on loan at Southampton, where he has been in fine form this season, scoring six goals in the Premier League for the Saints.
His performances at St. Mary's have certainly attracted attention, not least from Arsenal, who are said to be considering plenty of striker options ahead of the summer transfer window after missing out on Dusan Vlahovic in January.
Now, according to the Evening Standard, Chelsea could look to sell Broja in the summer in order to generate more funds, with the likes of Tammy Abraham, Kurt Zouma, Fikayo Tomori and Marc Guehi leaving recently for a combined total of £105.8million.
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.
"Armando's getting better and better, he's a very unique player with unique strengths in his game - he has speed, he is robust and he is a goal scorer.
"First of all now is not the moment to discuss about the summer - it is the moment for him to stay calm and keep on improving."
Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, when speaking in January, hinted that the Saints could look to make Broja's deal permanent at the end of the season.
He said: "We will find the right conversation with the player. The agent, the club, what they want, what Chelsea wants. I think we should let the young lad develop his game. This is the most important for him, to play games.
"He likes it here, he enjoys it here. We have a young team here. These are all reasons why he has developed his game and why he is getting better. In the end, we have to find the right decision for the boy.
"When it's a win win win for everybody, then we will find the right decision for the summer. As long as he is our player, we hopefully will have much fun with him and try to make him better."
