Armando Broja has been backed to eventually replace Romelu Lukaku as Chelsea’s starting striker by former Vitesse teammate Thomas Bruns.
The Albanian international has been impressing on loan at Southampton this season, scoring seven goals in 10 Premier League starts. Such has been the level of his impact on the South Coast, Saints were keen on exploring a permanent deal for the 20-year-old over the course of the January transfer window.
Still, no agreement was struck and Chelsea hold a strong position over the player. Having signed a new contract running until 2026 prior to his loan exit, Broja is only adding to his value at Southampton.
While breaking into the Chelsea team will certainly be difficult given the vast array of attacking options available to Thomas Tuchel, Lukaku in particular has struggled amid questions over his long-term future.
Speaking to Dutch outlet Voetbal, Bruns talked of his former teammate’s desire to break into the Chelsea first-team
“He sees Mason Mount as his example,” he said.
“He also did well at Vitesse and is now a key player at Chelsea.
“No shocking numbers, but apart from those ten goals, he has shown what other qualities he has. I think he can make it to the first team at Chelsea within four years.
“That will also be his goal. They will need a new striker anyway if Lukaku wants to move on in the long run. I think he could do that.”
