According to journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea have identified Brentford striker Ivan Toney as their priority target but he is likely to join Arsenal.
The Blues have had a disappointing start to the campaign, but they have shown improvement over the last three league games, picking up 7 points. The club are still likely to invest on a new striker in January and Phillips has said that Toney is the priority target for the club during the winter transfer window.
However, he added that the England international is more likely to join Arsenal despite more concrete moves from Chelsea over the past few weeks. Meanwhile, Phillips has revealed that Chelsea are not pursuing a deal for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, considering the Serie A club may not want to lose their star player in January.
Big-club move
Toney had a brilliant 2022/23 season with Brentford, scoring 20 goals in the English top-flight. However, he received an 8-month ban before the end of the campaign for breaching FA betting rules. He will be allowed to return to action from January 17 and it remains to be seen whether he will play for Brentford again.
The Bees currently value him in the region of £60 million. Chelsea have earmarked him as a top priority this winter, but as Phillips said that Arsenal could have the upper hand in the pursuit. The Gunners are currently vying for the title and are also competing in the group stage of the Champions League.
If they can sustain the good form until the New Year, there is a strong possibility that Toney will give preference to them. The former Newcastle United man publicly confirmed in a YouTube interview in August that he has always loved the way Arsenal have played. It won’t come as a surprise if Mikel Arteta’s side win the race for his signature.
