Chelsea and Ipswich Town are reportedly facing the prospect of a deal for Armando Broja being scrapped.
Despite making a number of appearances on the club's pre-season tour of the United States, it has been known for some time that Broja has no future at Stamford Bridge.
The Albania international has been training away from the senior squad with more than a dozen players deemed to be outcasts of Enzo Maresca's new regime.
In recent days, though, it has appeared highly likely that the 22-year-old would complete a transfer to Ipswich, initially on a season-long loan deal.
Terms have also been in place for Broja to seal a permanent switch to Portman Road if the Tractor Boys avoid relegation from the Premier League.
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Broja transfer off?
However, according to Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian, both clubs are likely to be left disappointed in their efforts to wrap up a deal.
The report suggests that paperwork issues between Ipswich and Broja will result in the transfer not materialising as expected.
Chelsea are said to not be involved in any of the problems that have arisen given their desire to get the academy graduate off their books as soon as possible.
Everton are said to be monitoring the situation with the indication being that they have registered an interest in the frontman.
Furthermore, Ipswich have already resorted to looking at alternative strikers, seemingly expecting that Broja is unlikely to make the switch to East Anglia.
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Only a short-term issue for Chelsea?
Given that it is clear that Chelsea are happy to facilitate a loan with the obligation to buy, Broja is still expected to receive offers before Friday's deadline.
That said, it remains to be seen whether any suitor would be prepared to commit to the £30m mandatory fee that Ipswich did, or how an interested club would get around that if survival in their respective division was likely a foregone conclusion.
Broja still has four years remaining on his contract, making it plausible that a straight loan with a substantial fee remains a realistic alternative.
Last season, the Blues hierarchy put a deal in place with Fulham where a loan fee being paid was dependent on game time. The Cottagers subsequently ended up paying a sum in the region of £4m once Broja featured for just 81 minutes across eight substitute outings.
Darren Plant
