Armando Broja ‘won’t start’ for Everton again after what he did v Forest
Armando Broja has not done enough to earn himself a long-term future at Everton.
The Chelsea loanee made only his second start for Everton in their 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in the Premier League on Saturday, 12 April.
Broja failed to attempt a single shot during the 64 minutes he was on the pitch, with Abdoulaye Doucoure then stepping up with the winner for the visitors later.
Therefore, the Albania international is running out of time to convince the Goodison Park outfit to make his loan from Chelsea permanent for £30million.
Michael Ball delivers verdict on Broja after win v Nottingham Forest
The game against Forest was Broja’s first start for Everton since their 2-0 defeat against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side at Goodison Park on 29 December.
Many hoped the 23-year-old would have grabbed the chance with both hands, but it was not to be, prompting David Moyes to replace him with Beto just after the one-hour mark.
| Minutes | Accurate Passes | Chances Created | Total Shots | Touches | Successful Dribbles | Dispossessed | Ground Duels Won | Aerial Duels Won |
| 64 | 15/19 (79%) | 2 | 0 | 31 | 2/2 | 3 | 3/6 (50%) | 2/5 (40%) |
Assessing Broja’s performance at the weekend, Michael Ball said that the striker showed glimpses of his quality, although he ultimately left much to be desired.
The former Toffees defender insisted that the game was a missed opportunity for the Chelsea loanee.
“Making just his second start for Everton, Armando Broja had his moments in the first half at Nottingham Forest”, Ball wrote in his column on the Echo website on Monday (14 April).
“He was trying to hustle and bustle and had a nice, little run between two or three defenders, but when we got into those key areas, we seemed to check back on ourselves.
“It was like we didn’t want to lose the ball and were concerned by the counter-attack.
“It’s been difficult for Armando with the injuries he’s had and trying to fit into a new style of play with a different team.
“While it feels like he’s been around for quite a long time, he’s still only 23 and is trying to learn the game.
“It was good to see Moyes give him his chance, but it does feel somewhat like an opportunity missed.”
Everton to send Broja back to Chelsea
It would be harsh to judge Broja as a player based on his 10 appearances for Everton, especially as he has struggled with injuries since arriving at Goodison Park.
However, it is also true that the Albanian has not proved that he is worth forking out a sum of £30m for.
Broja is one of 13 players with expiring contracts at Everton this summer, and it is likely that he will be sent back to Chelsea at the end of the season.
It would also not be a surprise if Moyes did not give him another start for the Toffees between now and the end of the season after his performance against Forest.
The Merseyside-based club would certainly prefer to invest the £30m into signing a more reliable striker than buying Broja.