Fulham manager Marco Silva has urged Armando Broja to ‘wait for his chance’, with the Chelsea loanee forced to settle for a secondary role at Craven Cottage.
After struggling to impress for Chelsea this season, returning just a goal and an assist in 13 Premier League outings, Broja was shipped off to Fulham for the remainder of the season.
Despite his final third struggles – missing two big chances and boasting a measly 8% conversion rate – the Albanian had no shortage of suitors in the Premier League, but Fulham fended off the competition.
However, he hasn’t started a game for Silva’s side, earning just over half an hour of Premier League action since his deadline-day switch.
Even with first-choice striker Raul Jiminez sidelined, Broja has found himself playing second fiddle to the in-form Rodrigo Muniz and missed Fulham’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa due to illness.
“He has to wait for his chance,” Silva said in a press conference (via football.london). “We really believe he is the right guy to be here.
“He arrived on deadline day before the Burnley game, and he had 20 minutes on the pitch, but Rodrigo scored and then the game after Rodrigo scored twice.
“Unfortunately for him, last week he was unwell and missed the match, but now he is available, and I will decide what the best solution will be to start the game.”
What next for the former Chelsea prodigy?
Broja needs a goal to properly settle in at Craven Cottage – although with Muniz in top form, he will struggle to get the required playing time, and the situation could be exacerbated when Jiminez returns from injury.
Since recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, the Cobham Academy graduate has been a shadow of himself, and the temporary Stamford Bridge exit was intended to help him recapture his form.
His move is not going according to script, and the 22-year-old needs a significant turnaround to salvage not just his Fulham loan but also his long-term future at Chelsea, who are already willing to cut him loose next summer.
Broja has always been vocal about his desire to succeed at his boyhood club, but after several turbulent years on Chelsea’s payroll, the Fulham loan could make or break his future at the Bridge.
Before swapping one London club for the other last month, Chelsea had slapped a huge £50 million price tag on their academy graduate.
However, whether that will remain the ballpark figure for potential suitors in the summer hugely depends on the outcome of his loan stint at Craven Cottage.
But it’s not looking good, especially with the Blues determined to recoup some funds after their £1 billion outlay.
Broja’s potential exit, which would be banked as pure profit, would help the club balance their books.
