The Bees set an exorbitant price for Ivan Toney, leaving Chelsea and Arsenal confused
Arsenal's transfer plan was ruined after making the final decision on Ivan Toney
EPL side Brentford has reportedly set a £100 million price tag on Ivan Toney, as they look to beat off competition from other teams for their star striker in January. The Bees have set a high price for the England striker, with Chelsea now looking to offload several players to challenge Arsenal for Toney's signature.
The Gunners have been heavily linked with a move for 27-year-old striker Toney, who is currently serving an eight-month football ban after he breached FA rules on gambling. Despite this, Toney is free to return to Brentford on January 17, but The Independent claims that Arsenal and Chelsea are unwilling to pay £100 million for the player. Amid Mikel Arteta's desire for Arsenal to be more productive in front of goal, the Gunners have become the frontrunners to bring Toney.
However, there is a lot of uncertainty over whether Arsenal can afford the 27-year-old. There are indications that they will have difficulty getting an agreement considering the FFP constraints clubs in the Premier League are currently experiencing. The Independent has reported that Arteta is deciding what is most important or viable from a list that includes a midfielder, two full-backs and a striker to buy first.
The race to get Toney will probably be to see who can raise the funds first. Any move by Arsenal to sign Toney will probably depend on whether Eddie Nketiah goes to Crystal Palace. Meanwhile, The Blues are willing to sell one of Ian Maatsen, Trevoh Chalobah and Conor Gallagher, but they will have to raise at least £160 million to get Toney.
There is interest from Tottenham Hotspur in Gallagher but the midfielder would prefer to see out his contract at Stamford Bridge, especially as Mauricio Pochettino has shown confidence in him. Toney again scored an impressive 20 goals in 33 Premier League appearances last season for Brentford, but this season, Thomas Frank's side has missed his prolific performances in front of goal.
The Bees are also without Bryan Mbeumo who is absent after undergoing surgery on his ankle. Without him, they may be even more reluctant to part ways with Toney, however, he only has 18 months remaining on his contract, which could be a consideration in negotiations.
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