"He's still young" – Glen Johnson says he would only allow Chelsea attacker to leave on loan amid lack of game time
Former Chelsea star Glen Johnson has opined on Armando Broja's situation at the club, asserting he would allow him to depart on loan.
Broja, 22, has struggled to get considerable amount of first-team minutes under his belt this season. Since recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, he has made six appearances, netting once.
Earlier this week, The Standard stated that Mauricio Pochettino's side are ready to reject a potential offer from Fulham for Broja's signature.
During a recent chat with British online bookmaker GGRecon, Johnson was asked to share his thoughts on Chelsea's reported stance of not selling the Albanian star. He responded:
"Unless they receive an offer that they couldn't say no to, then I'd only allow him to leave on loan because he's still young. If he goes on loan, then he can have the opportunity to bang in some goals, gain more experience and Chelsea would still have the option to bring him back."
Offering an alternative course of action for the Blues, Johnson added:
"An alternative to that would be to sell him and include a buy-back clause because young, goal-scoring strikers are hard to find. You certainly wouldn't want to let him go and end up kicking yourself a few years down the line, which is something they have unfortunately done on numerous occasions."
Broja, who has earlier spent time on loan at Vitesse and Southampton, has hit two goals and laid out two assists in 25 games for the Blues.
Chelsea urged to snap up Serie A superstar
Urging his former club to rope in Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the future, ex-England international Glen Johnson told GGRecon:
"From what I saw of Kvaratskhelia in the Champions League with Napoli last season, he looks like a proper threat in front of goal. He's quick, he's got a great strike on him and he will get goals, which is something that many of the wingers aren't doing at Chelsea."
Johnson, who lifted two Premier League titles in his career, continued:
"They don't necessarily need to buy another winger, but Kvaratskhelia could represent a step up on some of the wingers at the club if he continues on doing what he's doing at the highest level. If he's available and he's not going to cost an astronomical amount, then this is definitely a deal to keep their eye on."
Chelsea, who have dished out over £1 billion on transfer fees since the start of last term, are unlikely to be unopposed in their pursuit of the 22-year-old star. They are likely to face fierce competition from Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Barcelona, according to ESPN.
Kvaratskhelia, who guided his team to the Serie A title last campaign, has recorded 18 goals and 22 assists in 60 matches for Napoli so far.