February 14, (THEWILL) – Armando Broja, a 20-year-old Chelsea forward who has impressed on loan at Southampton this season, has been linked with Arsenal ahead of the summer transfer window.
Broja joined the Saints in August for the remainder of the 2021-22 season and has scored six Premier League goals in that time. Since the beginning of December, he has established himself as a regular starter and has already been linked with a permanent move to St Mary’s.
Arsenal allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to go in January, and Alexandre Lacazette will be a free agent at the end of the season – The Gunners are not expected to offer the Frenchman a new deal.
Arsenal, who were unable to sign a new forward last month when Dusan Vlahovic chose to join Juventus instead, are in desperate need of new options. Broja is being monitored as part of the club’s summer intentions to bolster various aspects of the squad.
Following recent training sessions in the classic striker position, there have also been rumours that Gabriel Martinelli, a club fan favourite, could be converted as a centre striker.
The Gunners also had the option of signing Mauro Icardi from PSG in the January transfer window, but, those in power at the Emirates decided against it because they wanted a younger striker like Vlahovic or Broja that will tie in with the young squad manager Mikel Arteta prefers to groom for the future.
When Broja was linked with a permanent move to Southampton, he was valued at £25 million. While Arsenal and Chelsea are rivals, it is not uncommon for players to switch between the two clubs.
Broja was born in Berkshire and joined Chelsea in 2009 following a brief stay with Tottenham’s youth, although due to his parents’ nationality, he is already a full international for Albania. He was selected for Albania’s junior teams for the first time in 2019 and has never represented England at any level.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
