West Ham appear to have opened the door for Newcastle to go back in for Armando Broja.
The 20-year-old has been a striker target for the Magpies this summer, as Eddie Howe looks to add more competition for Callum Wilson.
Broja looked like the perfect fit, but West Ham led the race. They appeared to be closing in on the Chelsea forward, with personal terms reportedly agreed.
However, it now looks like Broja isn’t going to join West Ham. Instead, they have moved for Gianluca Scamacca from Sassuolo.
Newcastle back in Broja race
As the Hammers close in on Scamacca, i News report that they are no longer interested in Broja. And that means Newcastle are in the frame once again. It’s also good news for Everton, who were also linked previously.
The report adds that Newcastle are still interested in signing the youngster on loan, and that might appeal to Chelsea. They don’t want to sell him.
If it’s a straight fight between the Magpies and Everton then Howe will fancy his chances. We look in much better shape than Frank Lampard’s side, who could be in for another tough season.
However, it might depend on how much football Broja can be offered. He wants to play regularly, and will need to outperform Wilson to do that at St James’ Park.
That’s a big ask when you compare the two. Broja doesn’t have a lot of top flight experience given his age, but was called ‘clinical‘ by Alan Shearer. He scored nine goals in all competitions last season. In comparison, Wilson managed eight and spent half the season injured.
But if Newcastle can tempt the Albania international to come to St James’ Park on loan then our summer will suddenly be looking very promising. It would allow us to go big on a right winger, which could be the final piece of the jigsaw.
Broja looked set to become a Hammer, but that is no longer the case. Now West Ham’s loss could be our gain.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
