Speaking to Hammers News, Nathaniel Kay of the Chelsea Chronicle claimed that there is a ‘strong possibility’ that West Ham target Armando Broja will be sold by his parent club.
The Lowdown: West Ham need a striker
David Moyes has fared very well considering he has just one first-team striker at his disposal in Michail Antonio. However, the Jamaica international has struggled for consistent goalscoring form this season. He emphatically scored four goals in the Hammers’ opening three Premier League matches, but has only been able to add four more in his following 19 games.
However, winger Jarrod Bowen has stepped up to the plate by scoring six times, filling the Hammers’ void as their main threat in the final third. This has allowed the club to push on, with the Irons holding on to a place inside the top five.
Nonetheless, it is clear that West Ham need to bring in an extra striker to challenge Antonio, or even to start ahead of him when he’s struggling for form. This need has been exacerbated by the Hammers’ bid for automatic Champions League qualification as they fight for a place in the top four.
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The Latest: Broja is a ‘strong possibility’ for West Ham
According to Chelsea Chronicle reporter Kay, there is a ‘strong possibility’ that West Ham target Broja will be sold by the Blues, rather than being loaned out again.
The journalist told Hammers News: “I think there is a pretty strong possibility of selling him. Chelsea are clearly not lacking in attacking players and Thomas Tuchel will want to get the best out of those who have generally struggled (Werner, Havertz, Lukaku).
“The board are usually pretty good at sniffing out a good deal. If they can get £20m plus for a player they raised through the academy, that will be seen as decent business. Plus, they’ve sold to West Ham already this season with Kurt Zouma, so it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if they did so again.
“I think the performances of the likes of Lukaku, Werner and Havertz will play a massive part in this potential move .. [and] if they can all get 10-15 goals or more before the campaign concludes, then Broja may be viewed as a spare part.
“After succeeding with Southampton, he won’t want to play back up to Chelsea’s current crop of forwards. With the Hammers in Europe – and if they get into Europe again – the thought of changing capital city allegiance would be even more enticing.”
The Verdict: Broja could be the perfect solution
The Albanian striker has proved that he is clinical in the final third, having scored five Premier League goals this season, plus a further two strikes in two Carabao Cup games, making him Southampton’s top scorer.
Moyes has been on the hunt for a new striker for the last two years, with his search being made all the more critical when the club sold Sebastien Haller to Ajax in last year’s January transfer window.
The "dangerous" Southampton loanee, as his manager Ralph Hasenhuttl recently described him, could prove to be the man to solve Moyes’ attacking dilemma, and at just 20 years of age, he could be the solution to West Ham's centre-forward shortage for many years to come.
In other news: Contract talks are now underway for this West Ham stalwart