Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Football London
Football London
Sport
Rohan Jivan

Chelsea loanee backed to be top player on Stamford Bridge return next season

Chelsea are expected to be very busy in the summer transfer window, despite growing uncertainties around the club's ownership, as Thomas Tuchel attempts to continue the process of moulding the squad into one that resembles his identity.

The Blues will be in the market for defensive reinforcements since doubts continue to arise regarding the status of many first-team members.

Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are all out of contract at the end of this season and don't look likely at this stage to commit their long-term futures at Stamford Bridge.

The west Londoners are also expected to invest in their frontline, despite the fact that substantial money has already been spent in this department.

Club record signing Romelu Lukaku has so far flattered to deceive in a Chelsea shirt so it wouldn't be surprising at all to see Tuchel bring in a new striker in the upcoming window.

But perhaps that new forward to lead the line is already at the club and goes by the name of Armando Broja.

On loan at Southampton, the 20-year-old has been in fine form for the Saints this season and has managed nine goals for Ralph Hasenhüttl's men.

His latest finish came against West Ham in Southampton's 3-1 victory over West Ham in the FA Cup and following the Albanian's impressive display, Arsenal legend Martin Keown showered the youngster with immense praise and believes that Chelsea will 'want him back' after this performance.

"Pace, power and then the finesse at the end of it… Look at that for a cultured finish," Keown told BBC Sport.

"This is a player. Top, top player. Going back to Chelsea, clearly they want him back after this. So impressive."

Broja's profile suggests that he has all the ingredients to be a top-class centre forward so it will be interesting to see if Tuchel decides to integrate him into the first team for next season.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.