Pochettino's true Broja feelings as transfer decision shows Chelsea reality
Mauricio Pochettino has already described Armando Broja's potential as 'amazing', but will he realise it at Chelsea?
The 22-year-old forward is currently the Blues' only available striker as Nicolas Jackson represents Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations and Christopher Nkunku bids to return from a hip injury. Speculation over the Cohbham-product's future has not ceased however.
With the prospect of the Blues adding a new forward over the next two transfer windows, it is likely any incoming move would see a player leave too. The past 12 months has seen a number of Chelsea stars developed through the academy either depart or made available for transfer.
The possibility that the club can make pure profit can prove useful in respect of satisfying profit and sustainability rules. Broja has more than four years remaining on his current Chelsea deal and has consistently drawn interest from West Ham, while Bayern Munich's name has previously been mentioned in the same breath as the forward.
In many ways, Broja had the ideal development route. Having joined the club at the end of his under-9 season, the Slough-born striker tasted success at youth level on the way to a Premier League 2 title by the end of the 2019/20. That year saw Broja earn his first professional contract and a Chelsea first team debut under Frank Lampard.
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It was also enough to convince the Blues that Broja was ready to take the well-trodden path to the Eredivisie with Vitesse. The Albania international delivered to end his term in the Netherlands as the club's joint-top goalscorer, a Premier League loan was next.
Broja's year with Southampton saw him in and out of the starting lineup on his way to nine goals for the south coast club. He nevertheless impressed and a pre-season stint in the United States under Thomas Tuchel awaited albeit with uncertainty.
Armando Broja of Southampton celebrates during the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between Southampton and West Ham United (Matt Watson)Broja departed the trip early with a number of teams interested in his signature, while the club publicly declared they had no interest in selling their asset. West Ham were keen to land the forward on a permanent deal, while the likes of Michy Batshuayi remained with the Blues' squad.
Ultimately, Broja stayed at Stamford Bridge and signed a new, six-year deal. There was a commitment to sign homegrown talent to longer contracts as Todd Boehly and co came to new agreements with the likes of Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah.
It was at this moment Broja's solid trajectory stuttered. He showed flashes of his talent but was only able to start twice before suffering a castastrophic ACL injury in a friendly against Aston Villa in December 2022. His season ended in that moment and in many ways he is still building back to his best from that moment.
Broja has not completed 90 minutes since May 2022 and his contributions are still being managed now. In the midst of three games against Preston, Middlesbrough and Fulham, the forward was deemed only fit enough to start in two.
He dropped to the bench against Boro, despite netting against Preston in the FA Cup. His second goal of the season against the Championship side prompted Mauricio Pochettino to deliver some praise combined with a dose of reality.
"It's really important for him but I need to be honest," he said, "I think 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.
Mauricio Pochettino has managed Armando Broja's minutes this term (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC)"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."
That is where Chelsea lie now. There is conviction in the potential of Broja but even in a project, there is a demand to deliver now.
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There is a sense that there is some opportunity for Broja to prove himself. The current crop of forwards could convince the Blues before the west London side secure the elite forward many believe they are missing, across the next two windows.
The touted £50million fee that would see Broja sold in itself is telling. It is likely more than a team would be willing to stump up for the striker and comparable to the figure it would take to prise Conor Gallagher from Stamford Bridge, a player who has been vital this term.
Of course, Chelsea could prove willing to negotiate but the club has shown stubbornness in their valuations before. In the case of Gallagher, Chelsea rejected a bid from West Ham in the region of £40m when some may have considered it good business.
To an extent, the Blues will consider each of their players to have a price at which it is more beneficial to sell them. The test will be whether anyone is willing to meet that mark and whether Broja's performances adjust that fee.
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