Mauricio Pochettino may have Chelsea secret weapon in Ivan Toney transfer battle with Arsenal

Brentford striker Ivan Toney looks very likely to secure a huge transfer in 2024 with the January window his first opportunity to seal a switch. Arsenal and Chelsea have been the main two Premier League clubs linked while Tottenham and Liverpool have also been suggested as potential destinations for the England international.

The Blues declined to make a marquee forward acquisition in the summer with Dusan Vlahovic and Victor Osimhen strongly linked. Both Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku were signed as attacking options, but neither really fit the profile of a Didier Drogba or Diego Costa that Chelsea have found significant success with in the past.

As a result, combined with their issues in front of goal this season, Chelsea are looking at Toney ahead of the winter window. The 27-year-old is currently serving an eight-month ban for betting breaches with his absence from football set to end in the first month of 2024, and despite missing a significant number of months, returned to team training in September.

Amid the rumours, Thomas Frank provided his thoughts on the future of his talisman earlier this season. «I think every club in the world is a selling club apart from five or six clubs. We are a selling club if the right price is there,» Frank admitted on Monday Night Football. «I think it’s the right timing for the player to go, that is not my decision in the end.

»If they build well with us on this journey, and now prove they are good enough to go to the top clubs, but for the right price. Yes, it does apply to him too (Toney), I understand why there are a lot of rumours out there, for me, as a striker and a number nine, I don’t see many others better than him in the world."

Chelsea seemed to be the obvious