Brentford’s 27-year-old star striker Ivan Toney might prefer joining Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal over Chelsea in the winter transfer window.
According to Dean Jones via GIVEMESPORT, Arsenal and Chelsea are keen on acquiring the services of Ivan Toney. The 27-year-old might be currently serving a ban but he is expected to be on the move in the upcoming winter transfer window.
Toney has gone from strength to strength since making the move to Brentford in the summer of 2020. He was in sensational form last season and there were a lot of talks about him moving to a bigger club in the summer. But, the England international received a major blow as he was handed a long ban for being involved in illegal betting.
His ban might have ended the possibility of a move in the summer but the interest in his services remains intact. With his ban getting over in mid-January, multiple clubs want to acquire his services in the winter transfer window.
Arsenal and Chelsea are two clubs keen on having him in their ranks. Both clubs have been linked with the 27-year-old for a while now. But, Jones believes Arsenal might be the preferred destination of the England international.
Jones said: “Chelsea have got Nicolas Jackson, who is an out-and-out nine, he’s just not scored enough goals so far this season. And they’ve got Christopher Nkunku coming back in and they’ve got a lot of other forward players who can play in and around that position. We don’t even know what Chelsea’s level is or what it’s going to be in the next couple of years.
“But at Arsenal, it’s more established now in terms of what their vision is. They’re going to be in the Champions League next season, they’re going to be challenging for the Premier League title and they’ve got Eddie Nketiah, but he is not really on that Toney level. And I think that’s why if you gave him a straight choice, that was about football, I think he would probably go for Arsenal.”
Arsenal signed Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City for a reported fee of £45 million. While Jesus has done a decent job since joining Arsenal, he hasn’t scored enough goals. The Gunners feel they need a new number nine, someone who can guarantee goals. Toney’s recent record suggests he could be an ideal fit for the club.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have also been linked with the 27-year-old. They haven’t been in the best of forms in front of goal and it seems they might need a new striker. But, Jones feels it might be the best choice for Toney as they already have Nicolas Jackson who is an out-and-out striker and Christopher Nkunku’s return might bolster their attack further.
The Gunners are expected to be in the Champions League next season and they will be challenging for the Premier League title as well. Apart from Jesus, they only have Eddie Nketiah in their ranks. While Nketiah is a decent striker, he is not the ideal fit to lead the Gunners’ attack.
Toney could be a great signing for the club. According to Jones, the 27-year-old England international will prefer joining the Gunners over the Blues as their project seems to be a more appealing option.
But, the Gunners might face a huge hurdle as Brentford are expected to look for a fee of £80 million for the England international. While Arsenal will be the preference, the asking price might result in the clubs withdrawing from the race.
