Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel rates Armando Broja highly and wants to keep him at Stamford Bridge beyond this summer, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

The Blues youngster has been linked away from the club throughout the summer window, but Phillips reckons that a potential exit has come from the Albania international's side.

What's the latest news involving Broja?

Having caught the eye during a fruitful spell at Southampton last season, in which he scored nine goals in all competitions, Broja has attracted interest from several Premier League teams.

GiveMeSport Transfer Verdict

According to the Daily Mail, both Everton and West Ham are interested in the 20-year-old, who's valued at £30m.

But Tuchel recently spoke publicly during Chelsea's pre-season tour of the US about Broja's future and made it clear that Broja is not for sale.

He said: "Armando is our player first of all and we have, at the moment, no interest in selling him. He is here to make an impression after he was on loan at Southampton."

Despite his comments, Broja has hardly featured in pre-season, only making his first appearance against Udinese last week, although that was partly down to an injury.

Premier League 22/23 Game week 1: Fixtures, predictions, odds, table & everything you need to know

What did Phillips say about Broja?

Despite intense speculation surrounding his future, Phillips has reiterated that Tuchel thinks highly of him and doesn't want him to leave before September's transfer deadline.

He told GIVEMESPORT: "I've been told many times that Tuchel really rates Broja highly and he wants him to stay.

"The whole leaving thing has come more from Broja's side than anywhere else because Tuchel is adamant that he wants to keep him."

Could Broja get a chance at Chelsea?

Kai Havertz might be Chelsea's first choice striker, but there still appears to be a window of opportunity should Broja stick around.

The Blues are yet to replace Romelu Lukaku, meaning the youngster is essentially Tuchel's only other central option throughout his squad, not including Raheem Sterling, who's also able to play false nine.

That could soon change, with Chelsea being linked with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Memphis Depay, but Broja would still surely fancy his chances of making an impression, especially after being given a vote of confidence from the manager.

Having enjoyed a breakout campaign at Southampton, Broja surely won't settle for a place on the bench, but there's every reason to believe he could get more than that at Chelsea.