Southampton Interested in Bringing Armando Broja Back

Southampton are interested in re-signing Chelsea forward Armando Broja.
Broja struggled at Fulham last season, but had a successful stint at Southampton in the 2021/22 season.
Chelsea value Broja at £35 million, a hefty fee for a player with limited experience, but Southampton could offer a pathway to regular playing time for the Albanian.
Southampton remain interested in Chelsea forward Armando Broja, who is surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge, according to Sky Sports.

Broja endured a frustrating loan spell at Fulham in the second half of last season, featuring just eight times and failing to score for the Cottagers. Despite this underwhelming campaign, the Albanian has attracted interest from a number of clubs this summer, including Everton and AC Milan.

However, Sky Sports have suggested that Southampton are currently the side displaying the most interest in re-signing the 22-year-old, who spent the duration of the 2021/22 season at St. Mary’s. Russell Martin is reportedly eager to acquire another striker to compete with Adam Armstrong and Ross Stewart after Che Adams’ contract expired, and has identified Broja as a potential option with Chelsea supposedly willing to sanction a move for their academy product.

Emerging onto the scene as a Cobham graduate, Broja has struggled to establish himself as a consistent figure in the Blues’ first team and has been shipped out on loan on three separate occasions. The Slough-born man netted eleven goals in 34 appearances in his stint in the Netherlands for Vitesse Arnhem in 2019/20, before impressing with Southampton the following season.

During his spell on the south coast the Albania international scored nine goals and was labelled “dangerous” by then manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, with the Saints eager to secure his services permanently back then. Instead, he chose to fight for his place in west London, before a cruciate ligament tear in December 2022 significantly halted his development, ruling him out of action for ten months.

Since this significant set-back, Broja has failed to recover sufficiently, and now faces an exit from his boyhood club. Everton are said to be strong contenders to sign the striker, while AC Milan are also said to be monitoring the player’s situation.

However, Sky Sports have indicated that a return to Southampton is on the cards, an offer that could be appealing to the youngster, given his relative success there during his temporary spell. Chelsea are said to want £35 million for the forward, a fee that would likely need to come down if the Saints were to actively push to complete the signing.

Martin is looking to add offensive firepower to his ranks this summer, as he looks to build a squad that can retain its Premier League status next season. Broja may represent a promising addition, with Frank Lampard once describing him as “a very good young player” with pace, strength and “a real eye for goal”.

Sky Sports also report that new attacking additions could be contingent on the Saints selling creative midfielder Carlos Alcaraz. The Argentine made just 12 appearances on loan at Juventus last season, failing to score in what was a disappointing stint in Italy.

Despite the Saints’ willingness to take proposals for the 21-year-old, the playmaker wants to stay at St. Mary’s after they won promotion back to the Premier League in May. This could prohibit Martin’s ability to reinvest in his squad, although the re-emergence of a firing Alcaraz could be a useful new utensil to add to the former Norwich man’s armoury.