Micah Richards shocked by Armando Broja moment as ‘three clubs join race’ for Chelsea ace

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Micah Richards was left stunned by Armando Broja’s ability to bully not only Harry Maguire but also Raphael Varane in Southampton’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United on Saturday. The Saints came from behind to earn a deserved point on the road at Old Trafford and Broja’s bullish performance in attack was key to his side’s fortunes as the Albanian put himself in the shop window once again.

The Saints have been on quite a run since beating West Ham 3-2 on Boxing Day, drawing with Spurs, Manchester City and United while also beating Brentford and Spurs in their past seven Premier League matches.

Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side are now up to 10th in the table and Broja has been right at the heart of his club’s recent impressive streak.

The 20-year-old has six Premier League goals to his name in 20 outings, yet it’s not just his goals that have seen him catch the eye.

Broja has been able to rattle the likes of Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte and Cristian Romero in recent matches and Maguire and Varane also felt the wrath of his physical approach last weekend.

Pundit Richards was wowed by his performance and the former Premier League winner struggled to process the character shown from such a young player.

“Broja, I know we’ve mentioned him before, but he’s bullying not only Maguire but he’s bullying Varane as well, which I couldn’t quite understand for someone so young,” Richards said.

It appears Richards is not the only one who has been left impressed by the former Vitesse loanee.

Arsenal, Newcastle and Leeds are all understood to have entered the running for his signature this summer.

Chelsea are now braced for bids this summer – meaning they may be forced into a decision on his future quickly.

Thomas Tuchel has already made it clear he is a big fan of the striker, who impressed in pre-season.

Yet still, the German wants Broja to prove he can play at his current level for an entire season as opposed to half of the campaign.

That will provide Tuchel with a clear indication of whether Broja is ready to play regularly for Chelsea next season.

Southampton legend Francis Benali is expecting Tuchel to keep him at Chelsea next season…

He said: “I can’t help but feel that even if he wouldn’t be a starter at Chelsea, Tuchel may want to take him back now that he has shown that he can play and score in the Premier League. He will be a big asset for a team like Chelsea.”

Express Sport understands Broja is not ruling anything out at this stage – including a move to Arsenal.

The Gunners are thought to be considering a summer swoop as they look to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are also reportedly scouting Broja.

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