Ipswich Town are closing in on the loan signing of Chelsea striker Armando Broja.

The EADT and Ipswich Star exclusively revealed last Thursday that the Blues have been in talks to bring the strong centre-forward to Portman Road.

We can now reveal a deal has been struck and the signing could be announced within the next 24 hours.

Th 22-year-old will provide further depth to a striker unit that includes Liam Delap, George Hirst (sidelined until October with a knee injury), Ali Al-Hamadi and Freddie Ladapo, with the latter now likely to depart.

Broja has struggled for game time after emerging from Chelsea's academy system, scoring two goals in 11 starts and 27 sub appearances, with an ACL knee injury putting his career on hold in 2023.

A 23-cap Albania international who recently featured at Euro 2024, Broja spent the second half of last season on loan at Fulham where he made just eight sub appearances due to the form of Rodrigo Muniz.

He saw his No.19 squad number taken by new Chelsea signing Pedro Neto earlier this month, with the London club also reportedly closing in on the £42m signing of Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix.

This will be Broja's fourth temporary move away from his boyhood club following previous spells at Vitesse and Southampton. Broja bagged six Premier League goals for a Saints side that finished 15th in 2021/22.

Contracted at Stamford Bridge until 2028, he has been linked to the likes of AC Milan, Bologna, VfB Stuttgart, Wolves and Everton this summer.

He will become Town's 10th signing of the summer following on from the additions of Aro Muric (Burnley, £8m), Ben Johnson (West Ham, free), Jacob Greaves (Hull, £15m), Conor Townsend (West Brom, £500k), Kalvin Phillips (Man City, loan), Jens Cajuste (Napoli, loan), Omari Hutchinson (Chelsea, £18m), Sammie Szmodics (Blackburn, £9m) and Delap (Man City, £15m).

In Broja and Phillips, Town will have reached their maximum number of domestic loans as a Premier League club.