Southampton transfer news: "Talks" over Broja deal could "ramp up" soon

TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook believes that Southampton will “ramp up” negotiations to sign Armando Broja from Chelsea once they have secured their Premier League survival.

The club have taken the Albania international on loan from Chelsea, and he has impressed so far this season.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side secured a deal to sign Broja in the summer and he has been central to their form thus far this season.

Saints are currently 12th in the Premier League table, with Broja having scored five goals in the league, and they also appear to have a significant gap to the bottom three.

Indeed, Hasenhuttl’s men are 10 points clear of 18th-placed Newcastle United and are likely to be looking up rather than down as they attempt to end the season strongly.

The club kept their powder largely dry in the January transfer window, with their only signing being the acquisition of Willy Caballero on a free transfer.

The 40-year-old has surely come in purely as a back-up, such is his age, and there is clearly a feeling at Saints that they do not need to spend big in order to survive in the top-flight.

Broja has been linked with a permanent move to St Mary’s Stadium but it remains to be seen if they will be able to prise him away from Stamford Bridge in the summer.

He is valued at £8.1m by Transfermarkt and he may well be hopeful of receiving a chance at Stamford Bridge, having played just once at senior level for the Blues.

But Crook thinks that Saints will make a real attempt to bring him in once their survival is secured.

He told GiveMeSport: “If come the end of February, middle of March, Saints are safe from relegation, then talks will really ramp up.”

They really do need to try.

The Albanian has impressed with his physicality and his