Chelsea might end up having to make a decision to could regret over Armando Broja amid Romelu Lukaku’s stance over a summer exit in the transfer window. Thomas Tuchel is a huge fan of the on-loan Southampton star while Arsenal have been linked in previously.
Chelsea could face their toughest decision yet over what to do with Broja this summer.
It comes amid Lukaku’s stance over his future at Stamford Bridge after he was relegated to the bench against Lille on Tuesday night in the Champions League.
The £97m man has been out of form in recent weeks and has not scored in the Premier League since December - before an ill-timed interview with Sky Italia.
Despite stating that he would love to return to Inter Milan at some point, Tuchel has largely stuck by the Belgian - only really dropping him for the subsequent next match against Liverpool.
Romelu Lukaku was on the bench against Lille (Image: GETTY)
That has coincided with Kai Havertz being knocked down to the bench but he repaid his manager by scoring within eight minutes against Lille in a 2-0 win.
But according to the Daily Mail, Lukaku has not decided to leave Chelsea this summer and wants to fight for his spot, which puts Broja under the microscope.
The Albania international has been a sensation since moving to Southampton on loan, scoring eight times in all competitions and alerting the attention of the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham.
Tuchel has already made his feelings clear over the 20-year-old, who the Saint are desperate to keep hold of on a permanent basis.
He said: “He is our player, he is doing good, but at the same time it is only halfway through the season so he needs to continue to improve and make his statement at Southampton.
"They are our players for a reason, they have quality and a mentality.
"Armando is getting better and better. He is a unique player with unique strengths: strong and robust and a goalscorer.
"Now is not is not the time to talk about summer. He has to stay calm and keep on improving."
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Armando Broja has been in form at Southampton (Image: GETTY)
However, if Lukaku and Havertz stick around next year, with Timo Werner also in the mix, Broja’s chances at first-team football at Stamford Bridge would be limited.
The Slough-born starlet has told Chelsea that all he wants is first—team football, which could put the club in a tricky position.
The Blues will have to sell players in the summer due to their bloated squad and a lack of offers for Lukaku might force them to consider a bid from Southampton and Arsenal.