Former Arsenal icon and current Southampton veteran Theo Walcott 'speaks' and advises Gunners target Armando Broja amid constant transfer speculation ahead of the summer.
Broja, 20, has had a standout season for the Saints this term in his first stint in the Premier League, attaining a total of seven-goal contributions for Ralph Hasenhuttl's inconsistent side that are set to face off against Mikel Arteta's side on the South Coast this weekend. No wonder the Austrian. The manager is keen to make his loan permanent from Chelsea this summer, but as per recent reports and admissions, he is struggling to find the right people to speak to in west London regarding making progress on this certain front.
"Broja, on his best level, is definitely a player who can definitely help us. But it is important for him to step up and find a way back to his best performances like we all have to, and this is the goal for the weekend," the Southampton manager said ahead of Arsenal via Hampshire Live. "We are not discussing this at the moment. We all know the situation at Chelsea, there are a lot of changes there, and it is not so easy to find the right person to talk to about the futures of players.
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"It is easier to concentrate on your job and what we can do between now and the end of the season. The higher up the table we finish, the more attractive we are for players, and this is the goal for the last seven games." football.london understands that Chelsea holds all the cards as to where the young striker's future lies come the start of next season, but it's not out of the realms of possibility, just like Marc Guehi and Tino Livramento, that the Albanian takes it upon himself to decide his own future and figure out it may be away from Stamford Bridge.
But if he was to leave on a permanent, would it be a guaranteed deal for the Saints or would other Premier League rivals look to swoop in at their expense? Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have already been registered with concrete interest despite their rivalry and bitterness towards their blue London counterparts. The Gunners are in need to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, a number 9 pulling up trees in Catalunya, as Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah's futures remain up in the air despite a reported contract U-turn on the former of the pair.
Therefore this allows scope for the likes of Victor Osimnhen, Darwin Nunez, Alexander Isak and Tammy Abraham, amongst others, to continue being linked to moves to north London this summer. But if they were to sign Broja over any other target, Walcott could play a big part as Nathan Tella has revealed that the 33-year-old 'speaks' regularly to Southampton's number 18. "He [Walcott] has helped a lot with the younger players, not just me," Tella said ahead of Southampton vs Arsenal as per Hampshire Live. "I spoke a lot about how much he helped me last season – but it's not just me now, I see that Armando Broja speaks to him a little bit, I'm not sure what they talk about, but it's nice to obviously have someone more of a senior figure in the team to help.
"He's helped us as players because he has done a lot in the game, and we will listen to what he says. The fact that he is here helps us. I know he wants to play as much football as he can, but he's dealing with it in such a professional way – he's done a lot, and he's really helping." Could agent Walcott help his former club out here?
Arsenal fans- Which striker do you want to see Edu go all in for this summer to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang? Leave your thoughts in the comments section!
