Broja is set to join Fulham on a loan deal until the end of the season; the deal is set to include a loan fee worth up to £4m; the winter transfer window closes on Thursday at 11pm in England and 11.30pm in Scotland
Image: Chelsea striker Armando Broja could be heading to Fulham before Thursday's transfer deadline
Fulham have agreed a deal in principle to sign Chelsea forward Armando Broja on loan until the end of the season.
The loan fee for the forward could be worth up to £4m – depending on appearances and performance.
The paperwork for the deal still needs to be finalised but all parties are hopeful that it will be completed in time for the 11pm deadline.
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Broja has made 19 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring twice.
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Watch Broja scoring for Chelsea against Fulham earlier in the season
The 22-year-old was also wanted by Wolves on Deadline Day, but the Molineux club pulled out of negotiations.
Fulham have recently suffered a striker injury blow with Raul Jimenez ruled out for a few weeks with a hamstring injury sustained during their 0-0 draw with Everton on Tuesday.
Earlier on Deadline Day, before an agreement for Broja had been struck, Fulham manager Marco Silva revealed a centre-forward has been a top target since the sale of Aleksandr Mitrovic to Saudi Arabia club Al Hilal in the summer.
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Earlier in the day, Fulham boss Marco Silva confirmed that Raul Jimenez could be out for several weeks
“It [wanting a new striker] is not just because Raul Jimenez is injured,” he said. “Even with Raul in our squad, we sold a striker for a big amount of money last summer, we still haven’t replaced him.
“It was important last summer and it was important at the beginning of the window.”
Chelsea, meanwhile, will be left with Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku as their recognised first-team striking options.
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Jamie O’Hara didn’t hold back on his analysis of Chelsea’s performances this season saying they lack leadership, fight and determination.
This will also be Broja’s first loan spell since his successful stint at Southampton where he scored nine times in 38 games.
‘Broja deadlock finally broken by Fulham’
Sky Sports News’ Gary Cotterill at Fulham’s Motspur Park training ground:
“With five hours to go until the deadline, it appears Armando Broja is going to make that short journey from one west London club to another.
“He lives and trains about eight miles away at the Chelsea training ground, the South Circular takes him to Fulham and I’ve been told by the Cottagers they are working on bringing this deal to a close in time to beat the transfer deadline.
“There’s been a little bit of brinkmanship involved, we know that originally Chelsea wanted to sell the player, he’s a homegrown player so any profit goes straight into the bank account, but then they realised that wasn’t going to happen and wanted a loan with a £5m loan fee.
“That wasn’t good enough for Fulham, they baulked at that price and couldn’t afford it. There’s been negotiations going on all day, and we heard from Marco Silva in his press conference that they were working on it – he wants a striker because Raul Jimenez has picked up a hamstring injury.
“They’ve also never really replaced Aleksandar Mitrovic, and he left in the summer. We understand Broja is on his way to Motspur Way to complete that move before the deadline.”
‘Fulham will be hoping Broja can replicate Southampton form’
Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth:
“Fulham have wanted a striker throughout this transfer window. Raul Jimenez is injured at the moment but even with Jimenez fit and available, Fulham still wanted to reinforce in that area.
“Yes, Broja hasn’t had the best of times in terms of goalscoring with Chelsea, but he has scored goals in the Premier League before when he was on loan at Southampton, particularly in the first half of that season.
“Fulham will be hoping that he can show that kind of form when he comes to Craven Cottage. They have been after him for a while, and they finally have their man.”
How do Jimenez and Broja compare?
Jimenez has led the line for Fulham this season and will now face competition from Broja when he returns from injury – but how do the strikers compare?
Jimenez edges his new team-mate for strike rate across their entire Premier League careers with 0.34 goals per 90 minutes, compared with Broja’s 0.26. The Mexican also records better ratios for expected goals, shots and converting big chances.
However, at just 22 years old, Broja offers a greater level of agility and pressing capacity, while Jimenez, now 32, has also been less prolific in front of goal since suffering a serious head injury for Wolves in 2020.
The goal maps below reveal Broja almost exclusively scores between the six- and 18-yard lines in the opposition box, while Jimenez, who has far more experience in the Premier League, typically scores from within the central band in the box.
In terms of positioning, Broja has registered a higher proportion of activity in the opposition penalty area than Jimenez this term and can also operate down the left flank.
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