"He is an outstanding talent" - Joe Cole heaps praise on Chelsea youngster he has 'worked' with

Joe Cole has heaped praise on Chelsea loanee Armando Broja. The 20-year-old, who joined Southampton on a season-long loan deal last summer, scored a stunning goal during the Saints' 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Tuesday night.

Joe Cole, who turned out for Chelsea between 2003 and 2010, was also involved in working with the club's youth teams. Incidentally, the former England international has coached Broja. Cole said in this regard:

“This lad here, I’ve worked with Broja in the youth team. He’s an outstanding talent. He’s put his game together and is a great lad.”

Chelsea decided to loan out Broja after re-signing Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan last summer. With Kai Havertz and Timo Werner already being part of Thomas Tuchel's squad, Lukaku's addition meant the Blues had no space for a young Broja on their roster.

With regular game time being vital for the Albania international's development, a loan move to Southampton was sanctioned. The Blues might be regretting their decision now, given the injury and illness crisis in their squad.

Chelsea fielded Christian Pulisic as a forward in their 1-1 draw with Everton in the Premier League on Wednesday night. All three of their recognized strikers were ruled out after either testing positive for COVID-19 or coming in close proximity to someone with the illness.

Although Havertz is expected to return against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, Broja would have been an additional option for Tuchel in such testing times.

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A defensive overhaul at Chelsea?

Chelsea have been a well-oiled unit under Thomas Tuchel, especially defensively. However, four of their key defenders are nearing the end of their contracts at the club.

Cesar Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger are all set to become free agents next summer. The biggest headache Chelsea are facing at the moment is convincing Rudiger and Christensen, both of whom have plenty of suitors, to remain at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues might have to end up spending lavish amounts to bring in their replacements. Moreover, with Silva and Azpilicueta on the wrong side of 30, Chelsea will need to overhaul their backline even if they retain the veterans.

The January transfer window will give a clearer picture of things to come at Chelsea.