Everton transfer plans may be forced to change after Chelsea striker Armando Broja suffers serious knee injury
Everton may have seen their transfer plans for January take a turn after Chelsea striker Armando Broja was ruled out for the season with a knee injury.
The Albanian international striker was a target for Frank Lampard in the summer but opted to stay at Stamford Bridge and recently signed a new contract with Chelsea until 2028, committing his future to the club.
But with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kai Havertz ahead of him in the pecking order, there were suggestions that he could leave the club in January on a season-long loan deal.
However those plans took a huge blow this week, as it was confirmed that Broja will miss the rest of the season after suffering a ruptured ACL in a mid-season friendly against Aston Villa.
The striker was closing down the goalkeeper and got his foot caught in the turf, before turning and his knee popping. Footage emerged of the incident, alongside literal screams of pain from the striker and the worst was immediately feared and later confirmed.
He could now potentially miss all of 2023 too, but while it’s a huge blow for him personally it’s also a blow for Everton.
Lampard needs to find a way to add goals to his struggling Everton team, with just 11 goals scored in their 15 Premier League games this season while they sit one point above the relegation zone.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has suffered badly with injury problems once again this season, making just five appearances and managing one goal, while Neal Maupay has managed just one goal since signing from Brighton in the summer.
Broja would have been a perfect signing to add goals, youth and quality to the forward line, but that option is now off the table.
The Toffees have been linked with plenty of wingers for the January window, but the priority must be for a central striker who can take on the load for goals.
The priority must stay the same, but the club must pivot and change the plans of their targets quickly in order to have the best chance of securing a deal and avoiding a relegation battle again.