West Ham United “has always been a great admirer” of sensational Chelsea star and could hold “talks” to lure him from the London Stadium, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano exclusively told GIVEMESPORT that the Chelsea star has not been the subject of any bid since the winter window opened for business.
The Hammers are on the verge of confirming their first signing of 2024 as a loan deal, which includes an option to buy, has been agreed for Kalvin Phillips, who will transfer from current Premier League champions Manchester City.
And David Moyes, who spent almost £120 million on new faces in the summer, is looking for further reinforcements ahead of the fast-approaching deadline of 1 February as he looks to maintain his place in the top six and challenge for European glory for a second successive season.
Kladivar hit a roadblock in their search for Broja:
According to Football Insider, West Ham cannot meet Chelsea’s demands of £50m for Armando Broja as its winter budget does not stretch that far, but he remains a long-term admirer and could test the resolve of London rivals by making a bid in the future.
The report suggests that the Hammers learned that their Premier League counterparts are unwilling to lower their valuation of the Albanian international – despite him being limited to just 452 minutes of Premier League action this season because he has failed to feature prominently in head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s plans – during preliminary mid-season transfer discussions.
Moyes turned his attention to Broja after he failed to persuade Aston Villa to accept a loan deal to buy Jhon Duran, but the stats highlight that he has been less effective in the final third of the pitch during his Premier League career.
Chelsea are ready to offload the striker before the transfer window closes, regardless of whether they welcome a fresh face to Stamford Bridge, with Christopher Nkunku nearing a return from injury and Nicolas Jackson set to return from the African Cup of Nations in the coming weeks.
Broja’s availability has attracted the attention of a number of clubs, with domestic rivals Aston Villa, Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers presenting strong competition to West Ham for his signature before 1 February.
Prominent journalist Paul Brown recently told GIVEMESPORT that the Hammers were scrutinising the 22-year-old, having previously tried to secure his services, but failed to lure him away from Stamford Bridge, despite submitting a bid worth more than £30 million in July 2022.
Fabrizio Romano – The principals will discuss the transfer of Broja:
Romano understands that West Ham are among those keen on Broja after Chelsea offered him on the market, but last season’s Europa League winners have stalled negotiations as they are fully focused on completing a loan deal for Manchester City’s outgoing Phillips.
Although the Italian journalist believes that the future of the Blues’ academy graduate could be uncertain until the latter stages of the winter window, he warned that the Hammers could miss out on a deal if they opt for a waiting game, as Wolves have already engaged in talks over a possible deal.
Romano told GIVEMESPORT:
“Chelsea is waiting for proposals. I think there will be talks, so we’ll see what happens.
“West Ham have always been big admirers of the player and we will see if Wolves enter the mix as they have also had some contacts to understand the terms of the deal.
“I think Broja could be one of the names we mention in the final days of the transfer deadline.”
Moyes has sanctioned a club record transfer for Boniface:
West Ham are ready to break their transfer record and acquire Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface, according to The Sun, and technical director Tim Steidten is keen to complete the deal before the winter window closes.
The Nigerian international, who has scored 16 goals in all competitions this season and led his current employers in the Bundesliga title fight, is also reportedly being monitored by Newcastle United and Chelsea, but Moyes has approved a big-money transfer as Leverkusen could be willing to sell him for a big profit.
Although Lucas Paqueta is the most expensive arrival in West Ham’s entire history, having transferred from French side Lyon for £51m in August 2022, if a deal is reached in the coming days, Boniface would be ahead of him at the top of the list.
The 23-year-old’s stay at BayArena will be short-lived if he takes on a new challenge before the 1 February deadline, having only headed to Germany in the summer when he transferred from Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise for £17.1 million.
But Boniface’s contract will complicate matters for West Ham as he has four-and-a-half years left on his deal, which allows him to pocket just over £33,000 a week, and Leverkusen will be desperate to retain his services as they search for a silver medal.