Hammers fans can cast their minds back a couple of seasons and the rumour machine was rife that DM had made Armando Broja one of our Prime Targets: The Homegrown Albanian Chelsea-owned striker had just finished a very successful loan spell at Southampton banging in 6 goals in 32. The year before he’d been out on loan to Dutch club Vitesse and had scored 10 times in 30.

A proven record of goals for a then 21 year old. Understandably there was interest in bringing him to London Stadium – West Ham have been linked with just about every Premier League level striker- and the ‘will they sell – won’t they sell’ see-saw carried on throughout the summer window with some West Ham fans, me included, genuinely thinking we had a chance of signing him.

Chelsea flirted but of course kept him and left us disappointed, signing a new six year contract with the young striker in September ’22. Curses. ‘Hammers foiled again in search for striker’.

He then sustained a huge knee injury in a friendly during the international break  for the World Cup and was ruled out for the whole of the rest of ’22-3 season: After starting 23-4 with Chelsea, he was loaned out to Fulham and made 8 total appearances and failed to score. A pretty disappointing career so far.

At times the figures in 2022 quoted for him were some £35 or even £40 million plus being thrown around during David Moyes’ initial pursuit if I remember correctly.

Recent news regarding the Albanian seem to confirm he will be gone from Chelsea this Window, having become a bit of a ‘spare part’: Chelsea News suggest Juventus are willing to try and acquire his skills in a ’22-36 million’ euro deal. Which strikes me as a bit of a bargain for someone who is just 23 years old with a huge ambition to restart his career.

If his knee injury is behind him now (it is more than a year on so he’s as good as he will ever be) then he would seem a great value, proven Premier League player who’d work well with a Head Coach willing to nurture. With something to prove.

Compared with the £40 million (plus!)  now being sought for Jhon Duran who is a twenty year old ‘raw talent with attitude’, it strikes me that there  are options available in the ‘bargain basement’ which could ignite West Ham’s attacking potential without breaking the bank. If Juventus manage to grab him for under 30 million Euros (£26 million) then – they have a steal.