Chelsea have cooled their interest in Brentford striker Ivan Toney, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Speaking on The Debrief podcast, Romano said that the Blues are now focusing their attention on other options, leaving the door open for the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United to secure the England international’s signature:

“I’m not sure Chelsea are that convinced on Ivan Toney anymore, I think they’ve started to look at different kinds of strikers in terms of age. Toney could be an option for Arsenal, but we’ll see.”

“Manchester United will also be in the market for a striker – they have to decide internally if they want an experienced striker, and if so Toney could be a fantastic opportunity.”

Why have Chelsea decided against a move for Toney?

Romano hints at the reason in his comments. The Brentford forward will turn 28 later this month and it appears that co-sporting directors Lawrence Stewart and Paul Winstanley have decided to look at younger alternatives.

Whether that is the right decision, we shall have to wait and see. Since returning from his ban, Toney has continued to bang in the goals, scoring 4 times in 8 appearances. He hit the back of the net 21 times last season.

Which strikers are the club looking at instead?

Napoli’s Victor Osimhen is definitely the top priority for the Blues, but there is uncertainty over whether the London club can afford to pay the Nigerian international’s €130m (£111m) release clause upfront.

Brighton’s Evan Ferguson is also known to be on the club’s list of options, but he could cost just as much as Osimhen, with the Seagulls having reportedly slapped a £100m price tag on the Irishman.

Reports in the Italian media have suggested a possible swoop for Juventus’s Dusan Vlahovic, but credible sources in England haven’t linked Chelsea with the Serbian recently.