Brentford striker Ivan Toney is reportedly set to leave the club in January amid interest from a host of top Premier League clubs.
The Englishman, 27, returned to training last week having served half of his eight-month ban for breaching FA rules on gambling. He will not be able to play again until January, and regardless of this situation, the striker is attracting a lot of attention from English top-flight clubs.
According to the Daily Mirror, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are likely to be in the mix for Ivan Toney in January.
Toney was one of the best strikers in the Premier League last season, scoring 20 goals in 33 appearances for Brentford. In another world, he would have already got a big move but was unable to get one this summer due to his ongoing suspension. The report adds Brentford will demand at least £60million for the England international in January as he will only have 18 months left on his contract.
With that being said, here are three potential destinations for Toney.
#Manchester United
Toney is set to be one of the most coveted players in the January window. The England international is certainly good enough to play for one of the top Premier League clubs, and Manchester United could definitely do well with his services.
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag wanted Harry Kane in the summer but a lack of finances didn’t permit a move. Instead, the club splashed a lot of money to sign 20-year-old Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta. Hojlund has shown flashes of his huge potential in games against Arsenal and Brighton but is yet to score a goal for Ten Hag’s side.
With the Red Devils back in the Champions League, they need a potent striker who can score goals with ease in both the league and in Europe. And not many better to do this than Toney, as he will not only fit in Ten Hag’s system but also be a good mentor for the young and developing Hojlund.
#Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino has not enjoyed a great start to life as a Chelsea manager, racking up just five points from as many games. One particular issue that Pochettino has faced in the opening weeks of the new season is Chelsea’s lack of cutting edge in front of goal.
The Blues signed Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal in the summer to solve their goalscoring problem. So far, Jackson hasn’t come close to doing that, missing plenty of chances across five games. With Armando Broja still recovering from a serious knee injury, Pochettino must plot a January swoop for Toney.
Toney will perfectly fit into Chelsea’s squad. He could provide a huge boost to the side who have struggled to score goals since last season. Also, a forward partnership between Jackson and Toney will be a sight to behold.
#Tottenham
Tottenham decided to not sign a like-for-like Harry Kane replacement after the striker departed for Bayern Munich in the summer. Instead, new manager Ange Postecoglou wanted a flexible forward to fill Kane’s void and the club signed Brennan Johnson from Nottingham Forest on deadline day.
Spurs have enjoyed a flying start to the season—unbeaten in the league, winning four out of five games and sitting second in the table. For now, Postecoglou’s side have not really missed Kane but things could change in the future. Replacing Kane is impossible, but if there’s an in-demand striker who comes close to filling the gap he’s left behind, it is Toney.
It doesn’t need rocket science to suggest that Toney would be fantastic at Spurs. The Englishman is a striker who can do it all; he can just as easily act as a false 9 as he can act as a target man. He can Postecoglou’s side to another level and end the club’s long trophy drought.