Arsenal and Chelsea are among the clubs expected to test Brentford‘s resolve in keeping forward Ivan Toney during the January transfer window, sources have told ESPN.
The 27-year-old is currently serving an eight-month ban from football after admitting 232 breaches of the Football Association’s betting rules.
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Toney cannot play again until Jan. 16 next year and was fined £50,000 ($60,900) but that has not deterred potential new clubs from launching a mid-season move.
Brentford are reluctant to lose Toney but the striker fuelled speculation over a transfer by revealing his admiration for Arsenal in an interview on the Diary of a CEO podcast last month.
“The next club I go to, if I was to move, would be the right club,” he said. “I’ve been a Liverpool fan my whole life… But from young, I’ve liked Arsenal.
“I’ve liked watching Arsenal and how they play and how passionate their fans are. I’m a Liverpool boy at heart.”
