Chelsea told to pull Armando Broja U-turn after new West Ham twist – pundit
Noel Whelan has urged Chelsea to let Armando Broja join West Ham permanently this summer as Thomas Tuchel ponders keeping him at the club.
The former Leeds striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, insisted the 20-year-old deserves to have the security of knowing where his future lies for “the next three to four years”.
According to The Guardian (18 July), West Ham have submitted an improved bid for Broja worth £30million.
The Daily Mail (17 July) claim the Irons are also open to a loan deal with Chelsea reluctant to let the Albania international leave on a permanent basis.
However, as quoted by Sky Sports (20 July), Tuchel has claimed he “doesn’t expect” Broja to leave Stamford Bridge this summer – insisting the striker is “trying to impress” as he vies for a first-team role with the Blues.
Whelan urged Chelsea to rake in a £30million fee and look to sign a big-ticket replacement for Romelu Lukaku.
“Chelsea should be thinking about letting him go permanently,” he told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury.
“He’s 20 – he could end up like all of the other players who end up loaned out season after season.
“I think the £30million mark is about right considering the season he had at Southampton.
“He’s obviously not in Tuchel’s plans. West Ham need the stability of planning ahead with a striker they can count on for three or four years.
“The player needs to feel like he belongs somewhere, too. He’s a fantastic player, and he deserves to build a relationship with a new set of teammates rather than all this uncertainty.
“He’s got to be playing regularly – and Chelsea can get the money into the bank for their own targets if they let him go.
“It just makes more sense to do that and prepare to go back into the market to replace Lukaku.”
In other news, West Ham told to complete double striker deal amid ‘£70m’ Gianluca Scamacca verdict.