Ivan Toney has two options but Arsenal aren’t a great fit for England hopeful and would he want to join Chelsea circus?
IVAN TONEY has two options if he leaves in the January window — Chelsea or Arsenal.
My advice to him would be to join a project where you fit like a glove — and that would be Chelsea.
Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino’s biggest problem is still a need for an out-and-out striker. After £1BILLION of spending, where are his 20 goals coming from consistently?
So, what is another £100million to them? That’s the going rate for a top player nowadays, and I reckon Brentford would accept £80m plus add-ons.
Some may argue Chelsea as a club is a circus. Why would any player, especially one who has been out for a lengthy period, want to get involved there as they hover around mid-table with no European football?
But elite strikers have this different sort of mindset and arrogance. Ivan will look at that team, that situation, and think: “Let me show you why I am the Guv’nor.”
At the age of 27, he will also see a highly talented, young squad at Stamford Bridge that in the next two to three years, could go on to be a real force.
He may well also be the missing piece to Arsenal’s hunt for the title but they play a style that would force him to change his game quite significantly, getting used to not having as many touches as he would like.
Or, Mikel Arteta would have to slightly tweak his own style. I can’t see that happening.
It reminds me a bit of Erling Haaland joining Manchester City. It works clearly, given the number of goals he gets in that team every week and the trophies he has lifted.
But, you get the sense that Pep Guardiola is still not able to play exactly how he wants on a regular basis with Haaland leading the line.
Toney would arrive at Arsenal to compete with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah. How would that work? Do they need three strikers for one position?
At Chelsea, there is a hole, a void, a chance for him to go and deliver instantly at a massive club, and a style that is much more direct and angled around a main man up top.
While Ivan is a very good player, he doesn’t play on the shoulder like a Haaland or a Jesus. He doesn’t have the getaway speed. He prefers ball to feet and coming deep for link-ups.
Poch would ensure that there would be runners, like Mykhailo Mudryk, Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer, around him to do the hard yards.
And in terms of getting into Gareth Southgate’s Euros squad, he has got more chance starting every week with Chelsea than anywhere else.
A move to Arsenal would eventually work, no doubt, but I can’t see them splashing that cash in January after another big summer splurge. Chelsea just makes more sense.
In the meantime, the Blues need results, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Poch feels strangely emotional heading back to Tottenham.
When they sacked him back in 2019, it wasn’t because he was a poor coach. They sacked him because they thought he wouldn’t be able to get over the hump of losing.
And yet, he was signed to do just that at Chelsea. Isn’t it funny how one person’s opinion can change how someone is perceived?
As a result, Poch never got to truly see the fruits of his labour, in terms of the stadium he practically helped build and where the club is now under Ange Postecoglou.
They went through three managers after Poch to get to someone who ironically is in his mould — attacking football, very charismatic and the players love him.
For me, had Poch stayed, Spurs would have been Manchester City’s biggest rivals in the Prem.
Poch must, therefore, feel vindicated in some sense. They went for Nuno Espirito Santo who was an up-and-coming coach and that failed.
They then went for Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, serial winners, and that failed. Now, it appears to be back on track with Ange.
But I guarantee you, not even Ange or the players themselves could have predicted they would be top of the Premier League at this stage.
I will go on record and say they are title challengers. They are not far away from being a really, really good team, barring some squad depth.
If they get some injuries they could struggle, especially in midfield.
But, they are as much title contenders as Arsenal are right now.
ARSENAL TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: Stay up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours from the Emirates