According to Hampshire Live, Southampton are still in dialogue with Chelsea over the future of Armando Broja.
The Lowdown: Broja crucial for Saints
Since his summer arrival at Saint Mary’s Stadium, Broja has continued to impress both Southampton and Chelsea fans, scoring a top flight goal every 175 minutes this season, a fantastic rate for a player who had rarely stepped foot on a Premier League pitch before 2021.
The 20-year-old has netted five goals in 18 Premier League appearances for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, which makes him Saints’ second top scorer in the league behind James Ward-Prowse.
Hasenhuttl has previously stated that talks are taking place between Martin Semmens and Marina Granovskaia at Chelsea over the Albanian’s future.
According to previous reports from Dan Sheldon of The Athletic, another loan move for Broja is unlikely. Therefore, the loanee will either leave Chelsea on a permanent transfer or he will remain at Stamford Bridge in a bid to fight for his place in Thomas Tuchel’s side.
The Latest: Still in talks with Chelsea
According to Hampshire Live, Southampton are still in talks with Chelsea over the future of Broja, but it remains unlikely that a permanent deal will be completed before the transfer window closes.
Hampshire Live report that talks are only likely to advance once the club have escaped the risk of relegation, as Southampton sit just ten points above the relegation zone.
The Verdict: Unlikely now, possible in the summer
Hasenhuttl will be doing anything he can to ensure that Broja remains a Southampton player beyond the summer. With a lack of attacking threat sometimes an issue following Danny Ings’ departure, it is highly likely that the club will go in for the ‘dangerous’ striker on a permanent deal in the summer.
In the meantime, it seems unlikely that the Saints will be able to bring this possibility forward to the current window. However, Hasenhuttl will be optimistic that he can convince Broja to stay at the club over the remaining months of the season if they can steer well clear of the drop.
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