Chelsea have reportedly been contacted by Ipswich Town over the availability of Armando Broja.
The Albania international successfully recovered from a serious knee injury to feature for the Blues during the first half of last season.
However, the academy graduate failed to make an impact on loan at Fulham from February onwards, effectively ending his chances of being reintegrated back into the Chelsea senior ranks.
In the absence of Nicolas Jackson due to injury, Broja was provided with minutes by Enzo Maresca during pre-season, featuring for 73 minutes across games with Wrexham and Club America.
Upon Jackson's return, though, the 22-year-old has been left out of the squad ahead of being allowed to leave Stamford Bridge when a suitable offer arrives.
© Reuters
Ipswich make ambitious move?
Throughout the summer transfer window, there has been talk of the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, AC Milan, Bologna and Monaco all holding an interest in Broja.
According to journalist Stuart Watson, though, who was commenting on X, Ipswich have instigated discussions with their Chelsea counterparts.
The suggestion is that Ipswich are targeting a loan agreement for the striker given that he is valued in the region of £30m by the West Londoners.
Nevertheless, as per Nizaar Kinsella of BBC Sport, Broja is not in any rush to make the switch to Portman Road, while Chelsea would prefer a sale.
Like in the cases of Trevoh Chalobah and Conor Gallagher, co-owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital are attracted by the prospect of generating pure profit on a homegrown talent.
© Reuters
Could Broja be swayed?
Given his long-term injury and lack of game time, the most important thing for Broja at this stage of his career is regular football.
Liam Delap and George Hirst are currently in line to compete for a spot down the middle of the attack, leaving Broja with plenty of competition should he make the move to the Tractor Boys.
However, Ipswich are showing plenty of ambition in the market. As well as Omari Hutchinson leaving Chelsea for a club-record fee, Kalvin Phillips could also be acquired from Manchester City.
While no movement in expected in the short term, how Ipswich fare against Liverpool and Man City in their opening two games may sway Broja either way.
Darren Plant
