Why Arsenal have advantage over Chelsea in Ivan Toney transfer race as major roadblock revealed

Arsenal have been given a major boost to their hopes of signing Ivan Toney ahead of Chelsea next month. The 27-year-old striker has been heavily linked with an exit from Brentford for a while now despite receiving an eight-month ban in the summer for breaching Football Association betting rules.

Although he hasn't played a single minute in the Premier League since May, Toney remains one of the most sought after marksmen in Europe. The England international will be eligible to make his full return to action on January 16, but his first competitive game back for the Bees won't be until January 30 against Tottenham.

By then, he'll have just 18 months remaining on his contract at the Gtech Community Stadium. Despite the little time left on his deal, Brentford have reportedly given him an eye-watering £100million price tag.

With the January transfer window just around the corner, Thomas Frank will be bracing himself for offers. According to The Independent, Arsenal are currently leading the race to sign Toney.

The report states that Chelsea need to 'make a number of sales' in January to comply with Profit and Sustainability rules before they can make anymore signings. Since Todd Boehly bought the Blues in May 2022, nearly £1billion has been forked out on new players.

The Independent add that Chelsea's underperformance compared to Arsenal will also be a major factor in Toney's decision making. It's said that the thought of challenging for the Premier League title this season has made Mikel Arteta's side his 'preferred option' for the time being.

Chelsea news and transfers LIVE – Enzo Fernandez injury, Viktor Gyokeres interest, Nkunku debut

Who is Pape Daouda Diong? The wonderkid spotted at Chelsea vs Newcastle set to complete