Chelsea are so eager to find a buyer for striker Armando Broja they have reduced their asking price by £15million and may even accept a loan this month, according to reports.
The 22-year-old Albanian frontman has played a significant role for Mauricio Pochettino this season, making 13 Premier League appearances as the Blues waited on the return of Christopher Nkunku after the summer signing suffered an injury in pre-season.
However, much like stand-in skipper Conor Gallagher, academy graduate Broja is considered a viable option to balance the books at Stamford Bridge as the club tread carefully around FFP rules. Indeed, the fact that Gallagher and Broja came through the youth system in west London means any sale will be 100 percent pure profit.
As TEAMtalk revealed previously, there has been significant interest in the 6ft 3in attacker, with the likes of Fulham, West Ham, Wolves, and Crystal Palace all keen on striking a deal.
And while Chelsea were initially asking for £50million for a player who has only scored three goals in 36 appearances for the club, The Sun reports that figure has now changed.
They claim the Blues are now ready to knock £15m off that price tag and sell for £35m instead – with a loan deal also not out of the question.
The reports adds that Chelsea are extremely conscious of other clubs, much like themselves, struggling to stay on the right side of FFP rules and are willing to sell Broja or even accept a loan with an option to buy to ease any concerns that might arise.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men already did a similar deal last summer when they let Lewis Hall move to Newcastle on loan, even though the two sides were considered major rivals for a top-four spot.
However, Metro adds that this time they are likely to demand an obligation-to-buy clause as part of the loan, with Toon boss Howe having already suggested that his side may decide against signing Hall permanently. That is not a scenario want with Broja.
The £35m price tag does appear much more appealing to suitors for a player who has only hit double figures for goals in one season, when he was on loan in the Netherlands with Vitesse in 2021/2022.
However, Broja’s potential exit this month would leave them light on options up front, given that Nicolas Jackson is currently at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Nkunku continues to have injury issues.
Pochettino remains a fan of work in progress Broja
Pochettino has certainly given Broja plenty of chances to stake a claim for a regular starting spot though, but he tempered expectations after the striker scored in the FA Cup third-round win over Preston.
The Argentine said: “He needs to use this type of game to improve. Not only in his fitness or his capacity for work ethic, he needs to step up and move forward and smile more and be more positive in the way he needs to improve in his game.
“The potential is amazing, we are talking about a young striker here in England or Europe, with one of the most potential. He needs to push himself, and we are going to try to help, to realise it’s never enough and work really hard.”
While Broja could be shown the exit door, Chelsea remain on the hunt for a prolific marksman with the likes of Ivan Toney, Victor Osimhen, Viktor Gyokeres and Karim Benzema all said to still be on their radar.
The Blues are back in action on Tuesday evening when they host Middlesbrough in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, trailing 1-0 after a shock loss on Teeside.
