Chelsea vs. Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday isn’t quite the “Ivan Toney derby,” but it nevertheless offers an opportune moment to look ahead to a potential transfer that has been anticipated like few others.
In fact, Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the weekend was more of a contest for Toney’s affection, given the 27-year-old striker seems intent on leaving Brentford at the earliest opportunity. Sources have told ESPN that both the Blues and Gunners are monitoring Toney’s situation after he changed representatives in August, joining CAA Stellar, one of the world’s leading agencies, in a clear indication he feels ready for a new chapter in his career.
Brentford would prefer to keep Toney, but manager Thomas Frank has already admitted the club will allow him to leave if a suitable offer arrives.
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“So far we only sold one [while Brentford have been] in the Premier League: David Raya, that was a loan [to Arsenal] but probably we will sell him in the future,” Frank said as a guest on Sky Sports’ “Monday Night Football” last month. “Every club in the world is a selling club except five or six. We are a selling club if the right price is there and I think it is the right timing of the player to go — that’s not my decision — if they develop well with us and prove they are good to the top clubs then it is the right thing if it is the right price.”
Asked if that applied to Toney, Frank continued: “Yes, I think so. I understand why there are a lot of rumours out there. As a striker, No. 9, I don’t see many out there that are better in the world than him. Of course, we have [Harry] Kane, [Robert] Lewandowski, [Erling] Haaland and these types but not many.”
One source close to the situation told ESPN that Brentford would demand a transfer fee of around £80 million for Toney. The final amount could even be higher if a bidding war erupts between Chelsea, Arsenal and any other interested parties, reportedly including Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Toney is serving an eight-month ban for breaching the Football Association’s gambling rules on 232 occasions. He was only allowed to return to training at Brentford last month and cannot play again until Jan. 17, 2024. So it is conceivable that his next appearance could come for a new club, especially given Toney has already used this enforced downtime to give an interview in which he flirted with two potential suitors.
“The next club I go to, if I was to move, would be the right club,” he said in an August interview on the “Diary of a CEO” podcast. “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.”
So, in the meantime, Toney is left to wait. Brentford are waiting to see what interest transpires. His new agents are waiting to broker an agreement. Everyone is in this curious state of limbo until January, when Toney can kick a ball, the transfer window opens and a seemingly inevitable deal takes place.
Frank has spoken about devising a plan to create an “Ivan Toney version 2.0.” But if Brentford are merely refurbishing the England international to move him on to the highest bidder, where will he go and which team need him the most?
