Armando Broja is on Arsenal's summer wish list as the Gunners aim to sign a new striker in the coming months.
The on loan Chelsea striker has been in fine form for Southampton this season, finding the net six times for the Saints in the Premier League whilst also showing signs of fantastic link-up play.
Arsenal are monitoring Broja ahead of the summer transfer window after missing out on their January transfer targets, football.london understands.
The Gunners failed to strengthen their squad in January despite pursuing a deal for Dusan Vlahovic, who moved to Italian giants Juventus at the end of the window, but Arsenal are still on the hunt for at least one new striker.
At just 20 years of age, Broja has plenty of years left to rise to the very top.
Signing the Albanian won't be easy for Arsenal, however, for more than one reason. Firstly, Chelsea are likely to be reluctant to sell him to a direct rival, and perhaps even more importantly - if Ralph Hasenhuttl is to be believed - Broja's family would like him to remain at St Mary's beyond his temporary contract.
Speaking in January, Hasenhuttl said that the striker's family are "very, very keen" that he remains with Saints beyond the end of the season-long loan stay, adding that the ball is in Chelsea's court.
“In the summer it was impossible for us to get him here [on a permanent transfer] because we didn’t have the money," he explained, as cited by our colleagues at Hampshire Live.
"I know that his family is very, very keen that he is with us and they have absolutely confirmed that he should stay longer with us.
“Then it’s also about Chelsea and what they want. There are a lot of talks to be had. But Martin [Semmens] is on this and [Armando] Broja should concentrate on his game.”
But if his recent performances are anything to go by, Arsenal should do everything in their power to try to sign Broja. Saints drew with Manchester United at Old Trafford at the weekend, and former England international Micah Richards believes that he bullied top defenders in Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane.
“Broja, I know we’ve mentioned him before, but he’s bullying not only Maguire but he’s bullying Varane as well, which I couldn’t quite understand for someone so young,” he told The Monday Night Club, via The Boot Room.
Adding the Albanian to Arsenal's squad will only make the Gunners stronger in both the short and long-term, but there's still a lot of work for Edu to do to ensure a deal gets over the line.
