Chelsea have dramatically reduced Armando Broja’s asking price from the £50million they demanded in January, Express Sport understands. The 22-year-old is set to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, and the fact he came through the club’s academy system means his sale would be accounted for as pure profit.
The Blues are looking to raise cash through player sales ahead of June 30 – the deadline to meet Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). After his disappointing loan spell at Fulham, Broja was informed that he is surplus to requirements at Chelsea.
With the crucial PSR date looming, the Londoners are keen to agree an exit for Broja as soon as possible. And the player himself wants clarity on his future so he can prepare for next season.
Todd Boehly and co demanded £50m when the likes of Wolves and West Ham showed interest in Broja during the January transfer window. Less than six months on, Chelsea’s asking price is understood to have dropped to £30m.
And there is a general feeling that the Blues may have to slash it even further to meet their self-imposed deadline as interested parties look to exploit their need to sell before June 30. The presence of Euro 2024 between now and the end of next month could complicate matters further.
Although, with Albania facing Italy, Croatia and Spain in the group stages, Broja will have an opportunity to prove his worth on a major international stage. A string of impressive performances could also convince his admirers to meet Chelsea’s valuation.
As well as Wolves and the Hammers, who have held a long-standing interest in Broja; Ipswich Town, AS Monaco and Borussia Dortmund have also been linked. The striker would be open to playing in the Premier League or abroad, with Serie A an attractive option amid a belief it would suit his style of play.
Tall, explosive and, according to Raheem Sterling, the quickest player at Chelsea; Broja has enjoyed successful loan spells at Vitesse Arnhem and Southampton during his time on the books at Stamford Bridge.
But his recent stint at Fulham wasn’t so enjoyable as fellow striker Rodrigo Muniz found a streak of red-hot scoring form to keep him out of the side. The lack of game time came as a bitter setback for Broja after manager Marco Silva pushed hard to recruit him for the second half of the campaign.
Fulham wouldn’t have had to pay a penny for the loan spell if Broja had started more than 60 per cent of their matches. However, immediately after the January deadline, fellow striker Muniz went on a run of eight goals in eight games, leading to the Cottagers paying Chelsea £4m as Broja collected dust on the bench.
