PL rivals join Southampton in the race to land in-demand Chelsea loanee

Transfer News: Leeds United in five way race to land Chelsea loanee Armandro Broja

According to TeamTalk (h/t football.london), Leeds United is among the latest clubs to join the race for on-loan Chelsea forward Armando Broja, who is currently plying his trade at Southampton till the end of the season.

Broja is the latest name from Chelsea’s famed Cobham academy to establish himself in the English top flight. The Albanian has made just one league appearance for the Blues but continues to make a name for himself at St Mary’s. Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have greatly benefited from the 20-year-old’s presence up front.

The Chelsea loanee has netted seven goals in 21 outings for Southampton across all competitions. He has made such an impression at St Marys’ that the Saints are considering breaking their transfer record to land Broja.

The Chelsea starlet has been attracting plenty of attention from more clubs, with Newcastle United, Everton, and Wolverhampton Wanderers all vying for his signature. Southampton, who the player currently plies his trade for, are also interested in making Broja’s move to the south coast permanent in the summer.

The Premier League has seen some remarkable youngsters make a name for themselves over the years. Broja might not be setting the world alight, but his performances have been impressive, to say the least, and at just 20, he will only get better with time.

Broja has developed into a player capable of holding his own and leading the line with maturity and discipline, despite his young age. The striker was last seen churning out yet another impressive performance against defending champions Manchester City, as the Saints held them to a 1-1 draw.

Chelsea’s head coach Thomas Tuchel will be delighted at how Broja has taken to life in the top-flight after the club sent the player out on loan to gain some regular minutes and develop himself. It has proven to be an inspired decision as the striker would have otherwise stagnated on the Chelsea bench.

In a funny twist, it is Chelsea who look like they need the Albanian the most, as their world-class strikers have struggled to break down opposing defences and find the back of the net consistently. Lukaku and Werner look out of form and short of confidence, while Broja has only grown in stature this season.

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Chelsea are yet to decide on the young forward’s future in the summer, despite his impressive performances for Saints this season. Whether the Albanian will return to Chelsea or be shipped off elsewhere remains to be seen.

Returning to Chelsea does not guarantee Broja regular playing time. He will be better off moving to a comparatively lower-ranked club that can guarantee him more of that.

The likes of Tariq Lamptey and Tino Livramento have made a name for themselves since leaving Stamford Bridge. Whether Broja will follow in their footsteps remains to be seen.