“He has trained well”- Pochettino wants to ‘wait’ for 21-year-old’s Chelsea return before making transfer decision

Mauricio Pochettino claims Armando Broja is in his last phase of recovery

Mauricio Pochettino hasn’t been shy about saying that he wants Chelsea to sign another offensive player and has also confirmed Armando Broja is taking his last step towards recovery.

However, the injury to Christopher Nkunku has seen Chelsea return to the market for an attacking signing. But Pochettino has also put his trust in Broja, who picked up a season-ending injury last December.

The Argentine manager hopes Broja’s return could be a turning point for Chelsea’s forward line. The 21-year-old Albania international showed during his loan stint at Southampton that he could develop into an excellent centre-forward in west London.

Chelsea keen on signing Lyon's French forward Bradley Barcola. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea keen on signing Lyon’s French forward Bradley Barcola. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)

In terms of new signings, Chelsea have shown an interest in Bradley Barcola of Lyon when it comes to strengthening the final third of the pitch. But Pochettino has claimed he wants to wait for Broja’s return to analyse the situation with regards to signing a new offensive player. He said (h/t Football.London):

“We also need to wait for Broja. He’s close, but sometimes you are close, but the last step is difficult after the injury he suffered. He has trained well, and we have hope as well. That is why we are assessing the squad and all of the things that happen.”

“We are trying to find the right profile. The most important thing is the profile of the player we need to add to the squad, so it won’t be a problem and they can be compatible. That is why it is not easy, but yes, we are trying to do something.”

We will experience a huge boost once Broja is back since his presence will provide our centre-forward position with more depth. Right now, 22-year-old Nicolas Jackson is the only player we have in that position.

Given that Chelsea did not loan the Albanian striker this campaign, it is clear that Pochettino views him as a future star for the team. Or, that could be because he has been sidelined with a knee injury since December 2022.

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But he is here, and we have to plan for the near future with him. Chelsea seem to be fully focused on making a team around very young players. Broja is one of the youngsters who have been here since the pre-Todd Boehly era. He deserves every chance to prove himself here before we go out once again to spend cash on other players.