Chelsea’s asking price for striker deters interest from London rival

Chelsea return to action on Tuesday when they face Middlesbrough in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. 

The Blues were beaten 1-0 by their Championship opponents at the Riverside last week, and Mauricio Pochettino’s side must now overturn the deficit if they are to progress to the final at Wembley.

The Argentine will be hoping to see his side build on their recent good form in the Premier League, where they have won each of their last three games.

Last time out, a Cole Palmer penalty earned Chelsea a narrow 1-0 victory over West London rivals Fulham at Stamford Bridge.

Now, it appears that the Blues may have inadvertently deterred Fulham from being interested in one of their players.

According to The Sun, the Cottagers will not pay anywhere near the £50 million that Chelsea are demanding for striker Armando Broja.

The Stamford Bridge outfit are said to be considering selling Broja this month as they look to offload fringe players and raise funds, but their hefty price tag for the Albanian is said to have ruled Fulham out of the running to sign him.

Broja is expected to depart Stamford Bridge this year

Broja, 22, is a product of Chelsea’s youth academy and has previously spent time on loan at Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem and Southampton.

He returned from the south coast to London at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, but has since struggled to establish himself as a regular for the club.

In total, Broja has made 36 appearances for the Blues across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing two assists.

The report claims that Fulham, Wolves, and West Ham United have all shown an interest in the Albania international, but Chelsea’s asking price could rule out any interest.

Fulham’s current record signing is midfielder Jean Michael Seri, who the Cottagers paid around £25 million for back in 2018.

Broja’s current contract with Chelsea, signed in August last year, is set to run until the summer of 2028.