Everton FC manager Fabrizio Romano has announced that Chelsea attacker Armando Broja is ‘likely to go’ due to troubles during pre-season.
The Armenian played in all three group games at Euro 2024 before joining Enzo Maresca’s team for pre-season preparations. After appearing against Wrexham and Club America, he sat out games against Celtic and Manchester City before being dropped from their most recent team against Real Madrid. He didn’t help his case by shooting poorly one-on-one with the Club America goalkeeper, showcasing his lack of offensive ability.
As a result, his future appears to be away from Stamford Bridge, as the club already has Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, and Marc Guiu on their roster – and reports say they are looking to add another striker. Following yesterday night’s game, Romano spoke with X to announce the club’s newest transfer decision. He wrote: “Armando Broja and David Datro Fofana are both expected to leave Chelsea on a permanent basis.” Broja isn’t even on the squad tonight. According to a report from Spanish daily AS, Everton had been in talks about a prospective move of up to £25.2 million.
The club’s choice on Dominic Calvert-Lewin will have a significant impact on the future of Everton’s strike force. The club is unsure whether any clubs will pursue their interest in the forward now that his contract is in its last year. A worth of over £20 million has been claimed, and Manchester United and West Ham have expressed interest – although both clubs have since signed Joshua Zirkzee and Niclas Fulkrug, possibly ruling out any prospective move.
Broja, 22, has had a difficult two seasons as a member of the Chelsea squad. He has only three goals in 38 games, and his career is coming to an end. The most devastating version of the 1.91m forward was during his loan stay at Southampton in the 2021/22 season; he tallied nine goals in 38 appearances in all competitions on loan from the London club and his pace and power caused difficulties for defences across the league.
However, his momentum was severely derailed by a cruciate ligament damage that limited his playing time in the 2022/23 season, causing him to miss 274 days. Since his comeback, he hasn’t appeared as forceful or swift in what was a heartbreaking moment. If Everton is to sign a forward, they will need a consistent goal scorer to arrive, since Calvert-Lewin scored eight goals last season while Beto struggled in reserve.
