Chelsea: Mauricio Pochettino sends Armando Broja message with Harry Kane comparison

Mauricio Pochettino says Armando Broja’s situation at Chelsea is similar to that of a young Harry Kane’s at Tottenham and urged him to ignore talk of a possible exit.

The 22-year-old striker will likely start against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup on Friday night, but it has emerged that the Blues would sell him for the right price.

West Ham, Fulham, Villa and Wolves all admire the Albania international, who could cost as much as £50million, as Chelsea weigh up signing a striker before the transfer window closes on Thursday.

Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Brentford’s Ivan Toney are marquee options for the summer, with short-term options like Villa’s Jhon Duran and Newcastle’s Callum Wilson being considered in January.

Pochettino has urged Broja, who is his only available striker, to cope with the noise surrounding Chelsea.

“It is part of football,” said Pochettino. “If you want to be at Chelsea, when you perform well and score goals, you are there, if you’re not scoring, you are there.

"If you play, you are there, if you’re not playing, you’re there. In the end, you can’t escape. If we want all the benefits of being in this club, we need to accept that it is a massive responsibility. You are always going to be judged. It is normal.

“If you’re a coach, staff member or player and can’t deal with the pressure, it is difficult to be at the top. You can [be involved in] football, but maybe not at this level.”

Broja has scored just two goals in 18 matches since returning from a 10-month absence after knee surgery. He is re-establishing himself in Pochettino’s starting XI, with Nicolas Jackson at the Africa Cup of Nations and Christopher Nkunku out with a hip injury.

Pochettino hopes to kick-start Broja’s development, having helped Kane become one of the best strikers in the world after a series of lower-League loan spells. “I still believe that he has the potential to be an amazing striker,” Pochettino added.

“The process takes time. I always compare it to Harry Kane. He went on loan and spent time finding his real balance. In our first six months [at Spurs], he started to perform only in December and January, and that’s when we started to see his real potential.”