SAINTS have completed the signing of striker Armando Broja on a season-long loan deal from Chelsea.

The 19-year-old spent last season out on loan at Vitesse Arnhem in Holland, scoring 10 goals in 30 league appearances, helping the side to a fourth-placed finish in Eredivisie.

Broja also scored in one of his four KNVB Cup outings, as Vitesse reached the final, losing 2-1 to Ajax.

He returned to London to feature with the Blues during pre-season, penning a new five-year contract before scoring for the European champions in a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth in a friendly at Vitality Stadium last month.

Slough-born Broja is an Albania international, having played six times for the senior side, qualifying through his Albanian parents.

He becomes the third teenager to swap Chelsea's academy for Saints this summer, following Dynel Simeu and Tino Livramento, who both signed on permanent deals.

Upon signing, Broja said: “I feel very happy. I was really excited to join Southampton. It’s obviously a very good Premier League club.

“They’ve got a good history and they play in the best league in the world, so it’s amazing for a young player to experience it, be in and around a Premier League team, and learn and develop from the older players, the staff and everyone here. It’s a very good opportunity.”

Broja arrives to provide competition to the likes of Shane Long, Michael Obafemi and Che Adams, while Theo Walcott, Nathan Redmond and Nathan Tella were all used as strikers at times last season.

Saints are also hoping to bring attacker Adam Armstrong in from Blackburn, having had a bid accepted on Monday, as they seek to replace the goals that will be missed in the absence of Danny Ings, who joined Aston Villa last week.