Chelsea have the upper hand on Arsenal in the race to sign Brentford striker Ivan Toney in January, and a report has revealed a huge bid is under serious consideration.
Only Erling Haaland (36) and Harry Kane (30) scored more than Toney’s 20 Premier League goals last season. The 27-year-old can stake a genuine claim to being among the Premier League’s elite and England’s heavyweights have duly taken note.
Toney is a concrete transfer target for London pair Chelsea and Arsenal. Others have drawn links, though any battle for the England international is expected to boil down to Arsenal and Chelsea.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank previously admitted back in September that Toney is effectively up for sale. The Bees are understood to be seeking as much as £70m-80m for their star striker.
Toney is currently serving an eight-month suspension for breaching betting regulations. However, the ban will conclude on January 16, thus making a winter window switch viable.
Speaking in a Q&A last month The Athletic’s David Ornstein suggested Arsenal are more likely to recruit a new centre-forward next summer rather than in January.
“I don’t think Arsenal are focusing on recruiting a striker in January,” said the ultra-reliable journalist. “That is more likely to be on the agenda next summer.”
However, according to a fresh update from Football London, Toney may already be at Stamford Bridge by then.
They confirm both Arsenal and Chelsea are sizing up Toney, though claim Chelsea ‘seem to be in a much stronger position financially than their north London rivals right now.’
As such, even if Arsenal do enter the bidding for Toney in January, they may be financially outmatched.
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Indeed, Football London note Chelsea are ‘strongly considering making a big-money offer’ for Toney in January.
An £80m price tag is cited in the piece and it’s also claimed Brentford are ‘willing to do business’.
Chelsea invested €35m in Nicolas Jackson when prising him out of Villarreal over the summer. Jackson has looked lively thus far, though has been wasteful in front of goal.
Furthermore, Jackson should play a starring role for Senegal during the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, due to commence on January 13.
Senegal will enter the tournament as holders and among the favourites, meaning Jackson could be away for close to a month if Senegal reach the final.
A winter window move has therefore assumed greater importance for The Blues. Christopher Nkunku will have returned to action by then, though may be deployed in the No 10 role behind the striker.
