Mauricio Pochettino compares Armando Broja situation to Harry Kane as he puts faith in Chelsea striker

The Blues manager gives his thoughts on the rumours around Broja's future
Nizaar Kinsella25 January 2024

Mauricio Pochettino says Armando Broja reminds him of a young Harry Kane and insists he can become “an amazing striker”.

The 22-year-old is among the most exciting forwards to graduate from Chelsea’s academy in recent years but needs refining as he seeks to establish himself at Stamford Bridge after loan spells at Vitesse and Southampton.

A major knee injury in December 2022 disrupted the Albania international’s progress, forcing him to miss 10 months until his return this season. Broja has scored just two goals in 18 matches since his reintroduction and, ahead of an FA Cup fourth-round tie at home to Aston Villa on Friday, he is yet to look confident in front of goal.

Asked whether he still rates his striker, who is rumoured to be up for sale, Pochettino 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,” he continued. “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 [Didier] Drogba, [Jimmy Floyd] Hasselbaink or others. That’s always difficult for a young guy.”

Broja’s future has become a major topic of discussion around Chelsea amid rumours he could be sold for the right price, whether a replacement is signed or not.

Chelsea continue to be linked with a host of strikers, from Napoli's Victor Osimhen to Aston Villa's Jhon Duran, which could further dent his already waning confidence.

However, Pochettino says that transfer talk is something his young attackers must deal with to reach the heights of Harry Kane or Chelsea’s past great No9s, adding: “I don't know [if rumours affect him].

“It is part of the business, part of football. If you want to be at Chelsea... When you perform well and score goals, you are there; if you're not scoring, you are there. If you play, you are there. But if you're not playing, you're there.

"In the end, you can't escape. If we want all the benefits of being in this football club, Chelsea, we need to accept that it is a massive responsibility, and this can happen. You are always going to be judged. It is normal. It is our job.

“If you want to be in this business and play football, take the responsibility to play, you need to accept that this is the business. If you're a coach, staff member, or player and can't deal or cope with the pressure, it is difficult to be at the top. You can play football, but maybe not at this level.”

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