Fulham submit offer for £50m-rated Chelsea star - with one key condition omitted

Fulham have reportedly made a firm move to strengthen their striker options by lodging a bid to take Chelsea striker Armando Broja on loan for the rest of the season.

The Blues frontman has scored two goals and provided two assists in 19 appearances in all competitions so far this season as he continues his comeback from a serious cruciate ligament injury - although only eight have come as part of Mauricio Pochettino’s starting eleven.

Speaking recently about Broja's future, the Blues boss said: “All the biggest strikers needed time when they were young. They need to find their own balance. But I still believe that he has the potential to be an amazing striker. The process takes time. I always compare it to Harry Kane. He went on loan to Leyton Orient, Norwich and spent time finding his real balance.

“In our first six months, he started to perform only in December and January, and that’s when we started to see his real potential. He’s a player that suffered a big injury last season, he needs to put that big idea behind him, always that is difficult. And we are at Chelsea, he is trying to deliver while compared with the biggest strikers like Drogba, Hasselbaink or others. That’s always difficult for a young guy.”

Despite receiving the backing of his current manager, Chelsea are believed to be willing to allow Broja to depart Stamford Bridge before Thursday night’s transfer deadline and there has been significant interest in a loan deal from a number of Premier League rivals after a reported £50m asking price cooled interest in any possible permanent switch.

Wolves are said to be the first to show their hand and were reportedly unsuccessful with an initial loan bid over the weekend. The Molineux outfit have now turned their focus towards a loan deal for Corinthians striker Yuri Alberto, who looks increasingly likely to arrive ahead of the deadline. That could clear the way for Fulham to complete a raid on their West London rivals and hand Broja an opportunity to earn regular first-team football over the remainder of the season after a hamstring injury suffered by Raul Jimenez further depleted their options at the top end of the pitch.

talkSPORT have reported the Cottagers have made a loan bid to secure the services of the Albania international until the end of the season - although it remains to be seen whether Chelsea will entertain the offer after their local rivals failed to insert an obligation to convert the move into a permanent deal at the end of the season.

The report also reveals Broja is one of three Chelsea academy stars under consideration for a late sale in the transfer window, describing the Blues as ‘open for business’ should they receive suitable offers for defender Trevoh Chalobah and England midfielder Conor Gallagher.