The Gunners are planning an ambitious move for Chelsea’s academy star Armando Broja, who is enjoying a fine season out on loan at Southampton, Football London reports. The club is lacking numbers up top and recently rejected the chance to sign Mauro Icardi from Paris Saint Germain.
The Albanian forward is spending the season out on loan at Southampton, for whom he has scored eight times in 24 appearances, earning rave reviews.
Valued at 9 million pounds, it will take much more than that to prise Broja away from Chelsea, with whom he signed a contract until 2026 recently. Moreover, the Blues see the 20-year-old as a part of their plans and would take some convincing if they are to sell him to one of his suitors. Arsenal are joined by Southampton in the race for Broja, the Saints keen to keep the forward beyond his loan deal, which ends this summer.
Born in Berkshire, England, Broja came through the Chelsea academy before joining Vitesse Arnhem on loan for the 2020/21 season. There he scored 11 goals across all competitions in 34 games, sparking interest from the Premier League that culminated in another temporary spell, but this time at Southampton.
Arsenal’s interest in Broja comes as no surprise. The Gunners are expected to cast a wide net in search of forwards this summer, with both Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah on their way out. Add Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s transfer to FC Barcelona, and Mikel Arteta could soon have only Gabriel Martinelli to call upon as one of his main strikers.
However, things could have been different had the North London outfit taken up Paris Saint-Germain’s offer in the winter of swapping Aubameyang with Mauro Icardi.
The Gunners refused, however, as reported by The Athletic. They instead chose to focus on their predetermined targets – such as Dusan Vlahovic, Alexander Isak, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin – and are likely to return for one of them in the summer.
