David Moyes urged West Ham chiefs to act "very quickly" to strengthen his squad after Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel provided a concerning update over Armando Broja.
The Hammers have been linked with Broja throughout the summer transfer window and this week they entered talks over a £30million deal for the 20-year-old forward. The Albanian international has returned home from the club’s pre-season training camp in America, heightening speculation he could leave the Blues.
West Ham have made three signings this summer as they prepare for what could be back-to-back seasons of European football after reaching the play-off qualifying round of the Europa Conference League. They have permanently bought goalkeeper Alphonse Areola after he spent last season on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, while they have also signed centre-back Nayef Aguerd and central midfielder Flynn Downes from Rennes and Ipswich Town respectively.
But Moyes, who saw Aguerd suffer an injury in the first half of the Hammers’ 3-1 pre-season defeat by Rangers on Tuesday, has insisted that the Irons must add to their squad immediately, with the Premier League season starting in just 18 days' time.
“We have bids in for players and we’re trying to get them in,” Moyes told the Evening Standard after losing at Ibrox. “Getting them in at the moment is seeming quite difficult but by watching what I’ve seen in the opening games we need to add very quickly to the squad of players we’ve got.
“I hope [losing] comes as a good thing having a wake-up call, but I thought it was a good pre-season last year when we won all the games.
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“You want to win the games and you want to go in [to the season] in good form. We certainly need to make a lot of changes and do something different, that’s for sure.”
As well as links with Broja, the Hammers are also reportedly pushing to sign midfielder Amadou Onana from Lille. However, Moyes may have been hoping to wrap up more business by now as his side head into a campaign that could emulate the 56 competitive games they played last term.
While it has been heavily reported that the Hammers are close to signing Broja, Blues boss Tuchel has insisted he is planning on keeping hold of the youngster, suggesting a move across London is far from nailed on.
Tuchel said: “I don’t expect Armando to leave. We are aware of offers and interest but he is our player. We will take the decision with the owners.
“When he arrived (for pre-season) it was clear he was trying to impress and be a Chelsea player as soon as possible. I am pretty calm about it because we know the situation and we have a contract.”
Broja spent last season on loan at Southampton and scored six league goals in his first full campaign in England’s top flight. Prior to that, Broja spent the 2020/21 campaign with Vitesse Arnhem, scoring 11 times in 34 appearances
