“It’s Good If There’s Interest…” Tuchel Speaks Out As West Ham Lodge 30M Offer For Striker

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has issued a ‘hands off’ warning to clubs interested in signing striker Armando Broja.

West Ham have reportedly tabled a bid worth £25m upfront, with another £5m in add-ons, for the 20-year-old. However, while Tuchel acknowledges that interest in Broja demonstrates the Blues have a good player on their hands, he is not keen on letting the forward leave:

“Armando is our player first of all and we have, at the moment, no interest in selling him. He is here to make an impression after he was on loan in Southampton. That’s his situation from where we look up front. It’s good if there’s interest as it shows us there’s talent and potential. It shows us that he is in the position to impress and become a Chelsea player.”

As Tuchel mentions, he is keen on evaluating Broja’s progress during pre-season but that assessment could be delayed after the Albanian international picked up an injury.

It is not believed to be a serious issue but it is expected to keep the player out of Chelsea’s next game against Club America later tonight.

Whether the Hammers will be patient, it remains to be seen. An offer worth €40m (£34m) has also been made for Sassuolo’s Gianluca Scamacca so a decision will need to be made on whether the club should focus their attention on signing the Italian international instead.