Will the Hammers go back in for Armando Broja?

When Armando Broja turned down a permanent move to West Ham United in the summer, his intentions were clear. After loan spells at Vitesse Arnhem and Southampton, the Albanian international saw a chance to establish himself at parent club Chelsea.

The results of that decision have been mixed. Broja has been a regular part of the Chelsea squad at the beginning of the season, but he’s largely started from the bench. With the domestic campaign about to break for the World Cup, it’s a good time to assess the striker’s progress and to ask whether the Hammers should go back in.

Path Blocked

The signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would have blocked one route into the Chelsea starting lineup. As a proven striker in the English Premier League, current Blues manager Graham Potter is more likely to favour the former Arsenal player.

Chelsea had their issues in front of goal last season and the majority of strikes came from midfield. Raheem Sterling arrived from Manchester City to help address the concerns while Aubameyang completed the picture.

So where does that leave Armando Broja? At the start of November, the Albanian striker had featured in 15 games for Chelsea, scoring just once. As a regular fixture on the Blues bench, he may be starting to regret the decision not to move on.

West Ham’s Aims

For now, West Ham will be focusing on their own results and the target is to climb up the table following a slow start. A place in the top seven and European football for next season is still within the Hammers’ sights after the team pulled themselves away from the drop zone.

David Moyes’ men need to close a gap between themselves and the top seven and there isn’t much support among the neutrals. Current betting markets for a Top Six finish put the Hammers down among the outside bets and that’s a measure of the task ahead of them.

The figures are supplied by sources attached to sbo.net and Hammers fans, together with the wider betting community, can monitor the markets across the remainder of the EPL season.

Lots of back up information is provided. Breaking news stories and blog posts may appear on the SBO website while useful betting advice includes a guide to the Poisson Distribution system which can help with predicting results.

If a bookmaker looks interesting, it is possible to register via the link. They will be happy to take on new customers, subject to eligibility requirements and a completed registration form. Sign up should only take a few minutes and there will usually be a generous welcome offer waiting on the other side. Once that bonus has been taken up, there may be ongoing promos for the life of the account.

A range of deposit and withdrawal options is backed by fast and friendly customer service. Other benefits for regular players may include in-play markets, mobile apps and the potential to live stream top class football.

In short, it’s an ideal website for any form of football betting, but would West Ham be boosted by the arrival of Armando Broja in the January transfer window?

Do the Hammers need Armando Broja?

A number of teams are believed to be interested in signing Armando Broja. If West Ham are to go back in for the player, they may face competition from Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United and Everton among others.

When a productive striker becomes available, a number of teams will be alerted but do the statistics really add up? There is that solitary strike in 15 games this season, although it should be remembered that the player spends much of his time on the bench.

Last term, in a struggling Southampton side, the striker scored nine goals in 38 games across all competitions, a year earlier, in the relatively comfortable surroundings of the Dutch Eredivisie, Broja scored 11 goals in 34 appearances.

While there may be more to Armando Broja’s game, those are not impressive stats by any standards. Were he to be given a run in a stronger Premier League side, there is a chance that that record would improve, but such a signing would represent a gamble. Ultimately, West Ham United fans may be thankful that this particular transfer failed to materialise in the summer.