“He might be available” – Journalist urges Wolves to snap up Chelsea man as ‘like-for-like replacement’ for 31-year-old star
TalkSPORT journalist Alex Crooks has urged Wolverhampton Wanderers to sign Chelsea's Armando Broja in a like-for-like replacement for Raul Jimenez.
The 20-year-old spent the 2021-22 season on loan at Southampton, where he's come of age with eye-catching displays. He's scored nine goals in all competitions for the Saints, the most in the squad behind only James Ward-Prowse (10).
As per TeamTALK, his exploits saw Wolves, Everton and Leeds United come knocking at the Albanian's door in January. However, he ended up remaining at St. Mary's Stadium.
Chelsea academy player Armando Broja is attracting a lot of interest. What’s your thoughts on this? https://t.co/AkcN5yfg43
Crooks believes the Chelsea youngster could replace out-of-form Jimenez at Molineux. He stated that Wolves must snap him up on loan if Southampton don't keep him beyond this summer.
He told GiveMeSport:
“I think if Southampton can’t sign Armando Broja, he might be available on loan; that would be a like-for-like replacement. So, I’m sure they will be looking at what is available in terms of loans. Again, like a lot of clubs, they are going to have to be quite clever with the way that they do their business, but I’m sure there will be a curveball or two as well.”
Broja has witnessed a steep decline in form lately, failing to find the net in any of his last 11 outings, but that hasn't diluted outside interest in the player.
The Sun recently reported that West Ham, Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund have all joined the race for the Chelsea striker's signature.
Wolves need the Chelsea young gun more than anyone
Jimenez joined Wolves in 2018 from Benfica on loan before being signed permanently in April 2019. He was on fire during his first two seasons, bagging 44 goals from 99 games in all competitions. However, a horrific skull fracture in November 2020 due to a collision with Arsenal defender David Luiz derailed his momentum.
He's struck only six league goals from 33 games this season. While still the highest in the squad, it's a reflection of how dramatically he's fallen off the lofty heights he scaled earlier on in his Wolves career.
27 goals
10 assists
⚽ 27 goals
🅰️ 10 assists
No Premier League player has been directly involved in more goals than Raul Jimenez this season 🇲🇽 https://t.co/ppQnJgNoLE
This has directly affected the side's offensive output, with Bruno Lage's team netting only 37 goals from as many games in the league. For context, only relegation-battling sides like Burnley (33), Watford (33) and Norwich (23) have bagged fewer.
Wolves desperately need to sign a new striker and Chelsea's Broja is a good option for a side of their stature. He's shown how potent he can be on his day and has the potential to develop even more.