Chelsea’s hierarchy are “split” over whether to make a move to sign Brentford striker Ivan Toney this summer, according to The Mirror.
The English tabloid claims that there is some concern about paying over the odds for a player in his late twenties who will have just 12 months left on his contract in the summer. Some of the board are believed to prefer signing a young forward with more potential but fans on X are fed up with the club going after signings that don’t have a proven track record:
A younger with potential????? These people aren’t serious.
— George Frimpong (@GeorgeF42831400) March 10, 2024
There’s a Brazilian who’s 18 and will be the next R9 who costs 80m that they’d prefer
— Boehly_Era 🇵🇸 (@Pochs_Blues) March 10, 2024
Yes, let’s buy someone who is young and can take us from 11th to 13th next season 😒
— Vinay Menon (@Perennialbull17) March 10, 2024
This is what I hate about multiple owners, they can never agree to one decision
— The Repoman (@repoman_the) March 10, 2024
Ahh, the magical word “potential”…..
— Mayesey9 (@Mayesey9R) March 10, 2024
Sure,with what they have done with Chelsea so far,they would preferred one unknown wonder kid from Brazilian lower league,useless owners that have messed up our legacy nd turned Chelsea to a joke.
— Truth (@777numbers) March 10, 2024
This is why we are where we are.
— 英雄 (@NonsoSamuel20) March 10, 2024
How much would Toney cost?
Brentford were demanding £100m for the 27-year-old during the January transfer window, but the Bees are unlikely to hold out for that much at the end of the season due to his contract situation.
Interest from other teams, such as Arsenal, could mean that Toney‘s value could be maintained somewhat but The Mirror say Chelsea may only consider a bid if this price tag drops to £60m.
Chelsea’s board may want to heed the advice of Pep Guardiola
Toney scored 21 goals in all competitions last season, and he has hit the back of the net 4 times since his eight-month ban ended in January. He is rated highly by many, including Pep Guardiola, who spoke unprompted about the striker after Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Brentford last month:
“They have the ability with Ivan Toney – he’s a master player, a really good player.”
