Chelsea transfer: Prem rivals ‘hit pause’ on ‘£30m pursuit’ amid FFP concerns with boss ‘disappointed’
Wolves are stalling in their pursuit of Chelsea striker Armando Broja over fears they will break the Premier League’s spending rules, according to reports.
Broja has been tasked with leading the line for the Blues in recent weeks with Nicolas Jackson at the African Cup of Nations with Senegal.
Jackson has a respectable seven goals in 19 Premier League appearances this season but has been very wasteful in front of goal.
His absence this month has presented Broja the opportunity to prove to Mauricio Pochettino that he can be the main man for Chelsea.
One goal in his last 14 appearances leaves a lot to be desired, though, and it is widely accepted that Pochettino desperately needs to sign a striker.
The massive void in the Blues’ team comes despite spending around £1billion on transfers since the start of the 2022 summer transfer window.
That sort of expenditure means player sales are necessary and while Chelsea offloaded lots of players last summer, they have to get rid of some more.
One player the Londoners are expected to listen to offers for is Broja, who is a homegrown player so can be offloaded for pure profit, which is a godsend when it comes to financial fair play.
Another academy graduate is vice-captain Gallagher – who has been linked with Tottenham – but he has impressed this season and Pochettino would be silly to let him leave this month.
Broja has been linked with several Premier League clubs in recent years after impressing on loan at Southampton in 2021/22.
West Ham have always been mentioned in transfer stories involving the Albanian international, while Fulham and Wolves are also in need of a striker.
A move to Wolves appears to be the most viable option for Broja, but according to Mail Sport, they are wary of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
The report claims that Gary O’Neil’s side have ‘hit pause’ on their ‘£30million pursuit’ as they look to ‘make sure they comply with Premier League spending rules’.
O’Neil ‘hugely admires’ Broja and recently discussed his side’s spending potential this month, noting that their plans have been revised.
“We had been working on a couple of options but it looks like they won’t be doable financially so it’s back to other options,” he said.
“It’s disappointing as we felt we were making headway but it looks like it’s not doable.
“I won’t just sign a player for the sake of it. We need to take people who deserve the chance to play for us and are good enough. January is tricky.
“Prices are inflated and people don’t want to lose good players.”
O’Neil did not mention Broja by name so it is unclear if he is the alternative or the player out of Wolves’ price range.
The Molineux side head to the Hawthorns this weekend to face Midlands rivals West Brom in the FA Cup.
They have not won at the Baggies since 1996 and O’Neil has let his players know how important this fixture is to the fans.
“I am very aware of how important this is to our fans. We have been speaking to the players about how the game will feel from an emotional point of view.”
READ MORE: Chelsea top Premier League January transfer window spend table by ridiculous £330m margin
