Newcastle and West Ham in transfer tussle to sign Armando Broja as Thomas Tuchel opens door to long-term role at Chelsea

Newcastle and West Ham are set to battle it out to sign Armando Broja this summer.

The Chelsea striker, who has been on loan at Southampton this season, enjoyed a decent campaign after scoring nine goals in all competitions for a struggling Saints side.

At only 20 years old, it is clear that several clubs are buying his potential.

According to Goal, the Premier League duo are keen to sign the player but face competition from AC Milan, Inter Milan and Napoli.

While widespread interest in his services could lead to a move, Broja remains highly rated at Stamford Bridge with Thomas Tuchel suggesting all of the club’s young players will have the chance to fight for a place in his plans during the pre- season.

He said: “First of all, they will come back because they are our players.

“When we loan them out, we do it for them but also so that we can bring back better and more experienced players. They are our players and I want to have them in pre-season and then we decide what happens.

“It’s strongly linked to them, how they fit in, what they do, our ideas for them and what they want to achieve. It is strongly linked to our sanctions, to the situation around the club.

“It’s too early to predict the future for them given the role all season, but they’ll be back for pre-season for sure.”

However, speaking specifically about Broja in January, Tuchel specifically praised the striker.

He said: “Armando is getting better and better.

“He’s a very unique player with very unique assets in his game. His speed, he’s tough. He’s a goalscorer.”