Brentford set price tag for Arsenal target Ivan Toney
Brentford has slapped a huge price tag on star striker Ivan Toney. According to the Independent, the Bees will only allow the center forward to leave this month for around $125 million. This massive fee will likely scare off potential suitors such as Arsenal and Chelsea.
Toney is widely considered as one of the top center forwards in the entire Premier League. After all, the England international racked up an impressive 20 top-flight goals during the 2022/23 campaign. Only Erling Haaland and Harry Kane managed to score more goals during this season.
Nevertheless, Toney has not played a competitive match for Brentford since early May. The striker has been suspended by English officials for gambling on games. He will, however, be able to return to action later in January as the transfer market remains open.
Bees’ manager believes Toney will stay with club for remainder of season
Brentford manager Thomas Frank was recently asked directly if he believes Toney will remain with the club beyond the current transfer window. “The very short answer, yes. He is a Brentford player, he is here,” replied Frank. “We miss a few offensive players, I can’t see why we would sell him, and I would love to have him for a longer time.”
“If I ever, ever could recommend that, and it’s not for me to say yes or no, that’s Phil (Giles, director of football) or Matthew (Benham, owner), then it needs to be an unbelievable price. So, he will stay here.”
The Bees are currently struggling without their star striker. The west London side sits 16th in the standings, just four points from the relegation zone. The huge asking price for Toney is undoubtedly affected by the team’s poor performances during the current campaign. Brentford needs Toney, or a similar prolific player, to help them avoid a possible relegation battle heading into the second half of the season.
Arsenal wants Brentford talisman Toney for a lower price
Arsenal and Chelsea have both been heavily linked with a potential move for Toney this month. The Gunners desperately need a dynamic center forward to help lead the team to a title challenge. While the north London outfit undoubtedly has a solid squad, it certainly seems as if a true goalscorer up front may be the final piece of the puzzle.
Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah are currently leading the front line for manager Mikel Arteta. However, Jesus has had unfortunate injury issues in recent years and Nketiah has struggled to score regular goals for the club. The Englishman has netted just five goals in his last 32 Premier League appearances.
Much like their rivals, Chelsea could also use additional firepower up front. Despite spending over $1 billion on players since 2022, the Blues have had issues putting the ball into the net. The west London side currently sits 10th in the English top flight table.
While the London duo needs Toney, it seems unlikely that either team will pay the $125 million asking price. Both clubs need to be cognizant of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. The aforementioned news outlet claims that Chelsea will likely have to raise $200 million in player sales if they want to pursue the Brentford striker.
Arsenal will also have to at least unload Nketiah first before making a move for Toney or another striker. Crystal Palace has, however, shown interest in signing the Arsenal striker during the January window. Nevertheless, Toney only has 18 months left on his current Brentford contract. Because of this, the two big clubs value Toney at a fee closer to $80 million.
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