Armando Broja is already at the perfect club where he can reach his potential and become an 'important player' for club and country. That's according to former Albania international Nevil Dede, who believes that the striker was right commit his future to Chelsea despite having been heavily linked with an exit this summer.
football.london understands that Broja, who is valued at around £57million, was looked at closely by Thomas Tuchel in pre-season amid the absence of a 'out-and-out number nine'. It's also understood that Everton were eager to sign the striker, with several top-flight European clubs also in the queue for his signature.
The Cobham graduate impressed and the Blues decided to retain Broja's services. And, as a result, he penned a deal which keeps him at Stamford Bridge until 2028, where he will develop and 'become a very important player'.
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Speaking to TribalFootball, Dede said: "We should see how fast he will develop or mature, the only thing that I wish for him is that he has his health and plays as many minutes as possible.
"He is at a great club where he can be developed and become a very important player. Also, for his age, he's already becoming perhaps the most important player Albania has."
Dede continued by recalling his first impression of Broja and detailing the striker's impressive qualities. He said: "When I first saw Broja, I thought he had to be from another nation and not like us because I could see some qualities in him that I had never seen before in Albanian players. He has great speed in contrast to other Albanian players, I just haven't ever seen someone with these qualities."
Broja featured 38 times for Southampton while out on loan last season, directly contributing toward ten goals. The Albania international played a key role in steering Ralph Hasenhuttl's side to safety from relegation.
And, with Graham Potter at the helm - a boss renowned for developing players - the striker has a new found opportunity at Chelsea to become the club's talisman.
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