The football world was rocked recently by a transfer bomb that came out of nowhere and saw Danny Ings move to Aston Villa. It’s the first of many anticipated shake ups on the Premier League striker scene as Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham are also expected to switch clubs. As we trek on into mid-August, the moves being made this summer are starting to shape teams across the English top flight. One team that’s been molded by incomings and rumors recently has been Southampton as it looks to replace its talisman.
The Blues have already aided Saints with the sales of two players in Dynel Simeu and Tino Livramento. The former may not necessarily see the pitch for the first team this season, but he’s one to watch for the future, and Livramento is expected to challenge for a spot in the starting XI. Chelsea is now assisting its neighbors to the south once more as it sends over a promising striker on loan.
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Chelsea forward Armando Broja is joining Southampton on loan for 2021/22
Fresh off a successful stint (11 goals in 34 games) with Vitesse in the Netherlands, Armando Broja is set to spend the next season with Southampton. The Albanian international looked destined for a move to Serie A before Saints swooped in last second. He—unlike other Chelsea youngsters—recently signed a contract extension through 2026.
The 19-year-old was given his first team debut two seasons ago under Frank Lampard in the Blues’ 4-0 drubbing of Everton before the COVID-19 stoppage. Broja is now full steam ahead and looks to join a coveted group of academy graduates to cement their place in the first team within the next few seasons. A top flight loan could have this effect, especially if it goes according to plan. Broja was one of Chelsea’s standout performers in preseason, netting against Peterborough, Bournemouth and during the in-house friendly. Thomas Tuchel is said to be very impressed with the youngster, but there is simply no place for him in the side at this moment in time.
A move within the Premier League is obviously best case scenario for any young Blues prospect. Recent loan stints in the English top flight for Ethan Ampadu, Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek may have fans uneasy about the move to a struggling club, but the young forward will be in safe hands with Ralph Hasenhuttl. Marc Walker, Site Expert of Saints Marching, had this to say about the loanee’s expected playing time under the Austrian:
"“Ralph Hasenhuttl always uses a front two—normally one supporting striker and one playing off the shoulder of the opposition’s defence. It seems as though a lot of Broja’s game is his pace, so he could be utilised with his running in behind. In terms of minutes, it’s difficult to know [what he will get]. It looks like Saints may have around five options (Che Adams, Nathan Tella, Theo Walcott, Adam Armstrong and Broja) competing for the two starting spots, so Broja’s game time may be dependent on him impressing in training to get ahead of other players.”"
Unfortunately, Broja will likely face a tall task this season in replacing the production of Ings, who is one of the Premier League’s finest goalscorers. Southampton surely knows he won’t match its former No. 9’s tally, but being the first striker in after the sale of Ings means he’ll certainly feel the pressure. Nevertheless, it can be seen a teaching moment for the teenager as he copes with the intensity of the Premier League. Walker also commented on Saints’ expectations for Broja ahead of the upcoming domestic season:
"“It will be very difficult to replace Ings, so it seems the club is trying to give itself enough options to spread goals around the team. We look set to have some good competition in attacking areas, even if no one is up to Ings’ standard, so if Broja can contribute with 5-10 goals across all competitions then he will have exceeded expectations. Whatever happens, he looks a very good option to have on the bench and hopefully we can give him a good grounding at Premier League level.”"
This is going to be the first major test for Broja in his professional career. He cut it at Vitesse, but the Premier League is an entirely different animal. This is especially true for a 19-year-old that’ll be playing in a side likely to finish in the bottom half of the table. If he continues what he started under Tuchel in preseason though, there is no doubt Broja will be a smashing success at Southampton this year.
Do you think this is a good move for Broja? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!