West Ham have been backed to make a move for Southampton striker Armando Broja, with the youngster currently impressing on loan from Chelsea.
The Lowdown: Broja impressing for Saints
The 20-year-old moved to St Mary’s Stadium on a temporary basis last summer, in order to earn more playing time away from Stamford Bridge.
Broja has impressed for Saints, leading the line well and scoring six goals in 11 Premier League starts, also chipping in with two Carabao Cup strikes.
It seems unlikely that the Albanian will play a big role at Chelsea for the foreseeable future – they have £100m Romelu Lukaku, £72m Kai Havertz and £48m Timo Werner to keep happy – and with West Ham eyeing up summer additions, he has been backed as a potential target.
The Latest: Broja backed to make move
Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Alex Crook of talkSPORT claimed the Hammers should consider making a move for the young striker, even though another year on loan at Southampton appears most likely:
“That’s the most likely outcome [another year at Southampton], but teams like West Ham and Newcastle would be foolish not to at least have a try.”
This comes after claims that an absolute promise has been made to David Moyes from GSB, ensuring he will have cash to splash with a proper strategy in place to attack the market this summer.
The Verdict: Shrewd summer signing
While it may be difficult to snap up Broja permanently, given his potential ceiling at Chelsea and the fact his contract there is until 2026, a loan move could add much-needed attacking depth to Moyes’ squad.
The youngster has been hailed as ‘dangerous’ by Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl and he has won an average of 2.9 aerial duels per game in the league this season, showing the type of physicality which could make him the perfect deputy to Michail Antonio.
The Hammers have long needed an adequate support for the Jamaica star, and Broja’s age and profile suggest they should look on further.
In other news, a journalist has dropped a big West Ham transfer claim. Read more here.