According to Mirror, Chelsea are interested in signing Brentford striker Ivan Toney, but the Englishman has a preference to join Arsenal this summer.
The 27-year-old has been linked with a high-profile move away from the Bees from some point of time and he is widely expected to leave the club at the end of the season. As per Mirror, Chelsea could focus on securing his services as a deal for Napoli’s Victor Osimhen could be difficult to pull off as they are cautious of breaching Profitability and Sustainability rules.
The outlet add that the Bees will have to lower their transfer demands. They were eyeing £100 million for him in January, but Chelsea may not offer more than £60 million for his services. Meanwhile, the Blues face a potential stumbling block in the pursuit as Toney apparently has a preference to join Arsenal.
Quality striker
Toney has proven his worth in the Premier League over recent years. He netted 20 times in the division last season before receiving a 8-month ban for breaching FA betting rules. Since his comeback, he has netted 4 goals in 9 games. Toney almost scored a blinder from 40 yards out against the Gunners yesterday.
The Englishman has shown that he has the credentials in front of goal and he could be prepared to pursue a bigger challenge when he enters the final year of his contract this summer. Chelsea seem to have turned their attention towards him, considering they may not afford the huge £111m release in Osimhen’s contract.
While Toney could be signed on a long-term payment plan, Napoli may want the entire fee in 1 payment. This would put Chelsea at risk of breaching PSR rules. It remains to be seen whether they can convince Toney into a transfer, considering his desire to join Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal at the end of the campaign.
Arsenal and Chelsea have had completely different fortunes over the last two years. The Gunners are currently top of the table competing for the Premier League title while Chelsea are stranded in 11th. There are no surprises that Toney wants to join the Gunners with the chance to play Champions League football.
