Chelsea ‘lead race’ for Premier League striker wanted by Man Utd, Spurs; Poch, Boehly ‘lay groundwork’
Todd Boehly and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino are ahead of the competition in the race to sign Brentford striker Ivan Toney, according to reports.
The Blues have already spent over £1billion on new players since a Boehly-led consortium purchased the club in May 2022 with forwards Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku both joining this summer.
Jackson has brought a lot of energy but has missed a number of big chances, while Nkunku is currently injured and could be out until at least November.
And that has led Chelsea to look to sign another striker in the January transfer window with Brentford’s Toney rising to the top of their list of transfer targets.
Manchester United and Tottenham are also understood to be keen on signing the England international after he contributed 20 goals and four assists in 33 Premier League matches last term.
Toney is currently banned from playing until January 2024 after he was handed an eight-month suspension by the Football Association in May for gambling offences.
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And now London World claim in an exclusive that Chelsea are ‘leading the race to sign’ Toney in time for when his ban ends in January after turning down a chance to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic over the summer.
With Chelsea looking to get back into the top four this season and challenging for titles again, ‘there has been the need to hold talks and find a new centre forward’.
The report adds that Pochettino sees Toney as the ‘ideal choice as he is English, at the right age and proven in the Premier League’ and has made his feelings clear to Boehly as they ‘lay groundwork’ for a winter transfer.
Toney has already hinted that Premier League giants Arsenal and Liverpool would be the most appealing options to him if he leaves Brentford.
“The next club I go to, if I was to move, would be the right club,” Toney said on the Diary of a CEO podcast. “I’ve been a Liverpool fan my whole life, but from young I’ve liked Arsenal.
“I’ve liked watching Arsenal and how they play and how passionate their fans are. I’m a Liverpool boy at heart.”
And those words disappointed former Crystal Palace midfielder Darren Ambrose who was hoping to see him join Tottenham in the next transfer window.
“I am disappointed that he said ‘Arsenal is his preferred destination’ being a Spurs supporter,” Ambrose said.
“I think you could get him on the cheap now. I am surprised Brentford haven’t had any interest up until now.”
The article Chelsea ‘lead race’ for Premier League striker wanted by Man Utd, Spurs; Poch, Boehly ‘lay groundwork’ appeared first on Football365.com.
