Blow for Chelsea and Arsenal as Premier League club determined to retain 27-year-old star beyond January

Arsenal and Chelsea could struggle to land Brentford star Ivan Toney in January

Chelsea and Arsenal both need a striker and heading into the 2024 January transfer window, it is no surprise that they are eyeing Brentford talisman Ivan Toney.

The English star is currently serving a ban but should return to action in January. Should all go well, he should take to the field for the Bees against Tottenham Hotspur on the 30th day of the new year. However, the London Giants will hope that the 27-year-old will instead be turning out for them.

Toney’s contract with Brentford runs out in 2025 and he is yet to show any inclination to pen a new deal. Unless an agreement is found, there is every reason to believe that the English striker could depart the club on a free.

Toney is attracting attention from several top clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. However, the Bees are in no mood to go down without a fight and appear set to retain Toney in the 2024 January transfer window. According to The Daily Mirror, Thomas Frank is keen to welcome the 27-year-old back into the first team fold with a new deal also said to be in the offing.

With Brentford set to lose the trio of Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Frank Onyeka to the African Cup of Nations, they are keen to see Toney see out the current campaign. The English star could be on the market come next summer with an asking price of around £100m being mooted. Surely, that should deter several clubs from going all out for the Brentford man.

A reliable goalscorer who is proven in the Premier League, Toney should have no problems in donning the jersey of Arsenal or Chelsea. He would, in fact, add more dynamism to either team’s frontline and give them a fighting chance of achieving their season’s objectives in the second half of the campaign.

One can argue that Brentford retaining Toney in January is a blessing for the Blues. The player is craving UEFA Champions League football, something Chelsea cannot offer him this season. Arsenal, on the other hand, can and should have the edge over us in luring the player across London. Should Mauricio Pochettino’s men secure a top-four finish this season, they could very well find their hand strengthened ahead of a potential summer push to land Toney.

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The battle for Toney is only set to escalate as the player enters the final year of his contract. It is no secret that Chelsea need a striker and the Englishman does fill the criteria we are looking for. Whether it be January or in the summer, it remains to be seen if the Bleus make Brentford an offer they can’t refuse.