Mauricio Pochettino reportedly wants Chelsea to sign Ivan Toney from London and Premier League rivals Brentford in the January transfer window.
According to London World, Chelsea are interested in signing Ivan Toney from Brentford when the transfer window opens in January.
Mauricio Pochettino wants Chelsea to sign Ivan Toney
The report published this morning has claimed that Chelsea are leading the race for Toney and are making moves “behind the scenes” to get a deal done.
Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino has told club co-owner Todd Boehly to sign Toney for him.
London World has claimed that “Toney is Pochettino’s ideal choice as he is English, at the right age and proven in the Premier League”.
Chelsea have to work hard to sign Ivan Toney
In our view, Chelsea will have to work extremely hard to sign Ivan Toney from Brentford in the January transfer window.
There are a lot of factors that could inhibit a potential deal in the middle of the season.
First of all, Toney is serving a ban at the moment and will not be available until January 2024.
Yes, the 27-year-old striker is training on his own at the moment, but not playing competitive football for months means that he would need a few weeks to get into full-match fitness.
Could Chelsea be willing to show him that patience?
Secondly, Toney has a contract with Brentford, who could be challenging for the European places in the Premier League table this season.
Would the Bees really be willing to cash in on one of their best players if they are in a good position in the league table in January?
Thirdly, Toney himself may not be too keen on leaving Brentford in January, especially for Chelsea.
Chelsea struggled badly last season.
And the Blues are not doing particularly well at the moment.
Toney could fancy staying at Brentford until the end of the season and parting ways with the Bees on a positive note.
The striker is also likely to have a lot of options next summer.
Then there is the small matter of Brentford reportedly looking for £80 million for Toney.
Would Chelsea be willing to pay that fee in the middle of the season?
Former Arsenal prospect Jay Bothroyd raved about Toney on Sky Sports this past weekend and said: “He scores goals, he is prolific, he is strong, he leads the line really well.
“If you put him in any of the big teams, he is going to score at least 20 Premier League goals a season. Great on penalties.”
Toney has made 68 appearances in the Premier League so far in his career.
The England international striker has scored 32 goals and given nine assists in those games.
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