With Arsenal and Chelsea reportedly going head-to-head to acquire star striker Ivan Toney, Brentford has reportedly placed a £100 million price tag on the player.
A ‘£100 million price tag’ has allegedly been placed on Ivan Toney by Brentford in an effort to deter interest in their star striker from potential January suitors.
Chelsea is reportedly trying to unload players so they can “challenge Arsenal for Toney’s signature,” according to The Independent, who states that the Bees have set a high price for the England striker.
Toney, who is serving an eight-month suspension from football for violating the FA’s gambling regulations, has been extensively linked with a move to Arsenal.
Regardless, Toney is technically free to return to the Bees on January 17, but according to The Independent, Chelsea and Arsenal are ‘unwilling to pay £100m’ to acquire him.
The Gunners have jumped to the top of the transfer rumors to get Toney, as Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal to score more goals.
The 27-year-old’s affordability remаins a major question mark, though. Chief football writer Sami Mokbel of Mail Sport recently suggested that the Gunners—who are interested in Toney—may have trouble securing a deal due to the financial restrictions that clubs in the Premier League are subject to.
The interest from Arsenal is substantial, he added. However, January is a pricey month. Why? Because in the summer, Arsenal spent about £200 million on Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber, and, of course, David Raya, who they loaned out but will eventually sign permanently.
It will be extremely challenging to close the purchаse when you factor in FFP [Financial Fair Play] and the amount you are allowed to spend in relation to those requirements. Without outgoings, it’s nearly hard to close a deal in January.
Even if Chris hinted at it, their lack of a true striker is a major weakness. Even though Eddie Nketiah played yesterday against Fulham, I still believe they might use an improvement.
The Independent, however, asserts that the team with the biggest money on hand might be the one to get Toney first.
They sаy that “Chelsea are meanwhile prepared to sell any of Ian Maatsen, Trevoh Chalobah and Conor Gallagher,” and that “any Arsenal move for Toney is probably dependent on whether Eddie Nketiah goes to Crystal Palace.”
Last season, Toney scored 20 goals in 33 Premier League games for the Bees. However, Thomas Frank’s team has definitely missed his goal-scoring prowess this year.
In addition, Bryan Mbeumo is out for Brentford with an ankle ιnjury that has sidelined him since surgery.
Even though he still has 18 months remaining on his contract, his absence could make them even more hesitant to let Toney leave. This could influence the outcome of the negotiations.