Thomas Tuchel has been encouraged to cash in on Armando Broja this summer amid interest from West Ham. The 20-year-old striker has been heavily linked with an exit from Chelsea following an impressive loan spell at Southampton last season.
Broja, who sees his contract at Stamford Bridge expire in 2026 after signing a new long-term deal last summer, featured 38 times for the Saints, directly contributing toward ten goals. The Albania international played a central role in steering Ralph Hasenhuttl's side to safety from relegation and looked poised to play a key role for the Blues upon his return.
football.london understand that the Cobham graduate, who is valued at around £57million, will be looked at by Tuchel in pre-season amid strong interest from David Moyes. It's also understood that Everton are eager to sign Broja, among several top-flight European clubs.
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With a host of clubs circling his situation, Chelsea have been urged to cash in by Noel Whelan. Speaking to Football Insider, the former Leeds United striker and BBC Radio co-commentator said: "Chelsea should be thinking about letting him go permanently. He's 20 – he could end up like all of the other players who end up loaned out season after season."
Whelan added by insisting that £30million is a fair asking price, despite Broja having previously been valued at nearly twice the valuation. He said: "I think the £30million mark is about right considering the season he had at Southampton."
While Broja may be the only 'textbook number nine' at Chelsea, the youngster has been told that he may struggle to wedge his way into Tuchel's plans this season. Whelan said: "He's obviously not in Tuchel's plans. West Ham needs the stability of planning ahead with a striker they can count on for three or four years.
"The player needs to feel like he belongs somewhere, too. He's a fantastic player, and he deserves to build a relationship with a new set of teammates rather than all this uncertainty.
"He's got to be playing regularly – and Chelsea can get the money into the bank for their own targets if they let him go. It just makes more sense to do that and prepare to go back into the market to replace [Romelu] Lukaku."
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