Ivan Toney might have just been auditioning for a transfer to Chelsea during Brentford’s 2-2 draw against their London rivals on Saturday.
The 27-year-old didn’t get on the scoresheet, but he helped his struggling side secure a much-needed point in their fight to avoid the drop.
That’s four goals in eight Premier League matches since Ivan Toney’s return from a betting ban and Tim Sherwood thinks he would be a ‘sensible signing’ for Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea, as he told Premier League Productions (02/03/24 at 8:15 pm).
Now, it has to be questioned if the Chelsea boss will still be in the dugout in the summer because every week it seems as though his job is on the line.
From Brentford and Thomas Frank’s perspective, relegation or no relegation, they have accepted that Ivan Toney will leave.
Sources have told HITC Football that Chelsea are a host of clubs, alongside Arsenal, Tottenham, Newcastle United and Manchester United who want to sign the England international in the summer.
Other than the Magpies, who have Alexander Isak and the injury-prone Callum Wilson, every one of those teams could do with a number nine.
So, it’s going to be very interesting to see how this transfer saga involving Ivan Toney plays out, with Tim Sherwood telling him to head to Chelsea instead.
Ivan Toney at Chelsea
“This would be a sensible signing if they would take Ivan Toney,” said Sherwood.
“They have taken players who are a little bit younger than Ivan, but they haven’t had any experience of the Premier League. They can’t have any more risks in the transfer market. They need to get sure things.
“That is the nearest thing to a sure thing you are ever going to find. He has experience of scoring goals in the Premier League.
“If he was at Chelsea, then he would be prolific.”
Ivan Toney is ready to step up
All big-name transfers drag on and it wouldn’t be a surprise if it happens with Toney in the summer, especially with what teams will be willing to pay for the player.
This is Brentford’s chance to create a bit of a bidding war, but they will be hoping it doesn’t put certain clubs off, especially with the threat of FFP hanging over teams heads.
Either way, the time is right for Toney to move on and play for a club much higher up the Premier League table, especially one in Europe.
The issue with Chelsea and Newcastle is that they are at risk of not securing European football at the end of the campaign if they don’t sort out their inconsistent form.
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