Chelsea offer Everton choice of 2 midfielders in return for taking Armando back

Chelsea have offered Everton midfielders Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall or Carney Chukwuemeka if they are going to take back Armando Broja.

Everton want to end Broja’s season-long loan at Goodison Park because the Albania striker will be sidelined until April with an ankle ligaments injury. He arrived at the end of August with Achilles trouble and the ill-fated forward has made just six appearances for Everton, failing to score or register an assist.

The Blues want to free up his loan slot to sign another forward to boost their flagging firepower and Chelsea are reluctant to just accept Broja back. They want Everton to take another of their surplus players on loan and have offered them Dewsbury-Hall or Chukwuemeka.

Dewsbury-Hall, 26, cost Chelsea £30million from Leicester last summer and has scored two goals and mainly featured in the Europa Conference League. Chukwuemeka, 21, who cost £18million in 2022, has seen even less action and the former Aston Villa midfielder has made just five appearances this season.

Everton would prefer a striker and are speaking to Chelsea about sending Broja back to Stamford Bridge. “At the moment, I don’t think there’s a final decision that’s been taken,” said Everton boss David Moyes.

“But I think what you’re suggesting in the conversations we’ve had is that is a possibility, but at this moment in time, it’s not confirmed quite yet.”

Everton are hampered in this window by the Premier League’s PSR and ideally Moyes would like a striker, a midfielder and another left-back. He has some money to spend, but says landing another forward is his priority.

“If you asked all the Evertonians, I think we’re probably short in the front line,” said Moyes. “So obviously we’d like to add to maybe our attacking players, maybe another midfield player, if possible.

“I definitely agree that we would probably like to strengthen left-back if possible, maybe have another addition there if possible, but I don’t know if I can fit all that in just now. So I’m trying to see where we can go and what we can do.”