Why Toney's transfer to Arsenal or Chelsea is in trouble

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 15 Dec 2023 17:32 GMT
• 3 min read

Arsenal and Chelsea are at the front of the queue to sign Ivan Toney from Brentford in January, but a winter sale now looks increasingly unlikely.

Toney has emerged as one of the most in-demand strikers in the Premier League despite his recent eight-month ban for breaches of the FA's betting rules.

Toney will be eligible again from 17 January, and 32 goals in 66 games since the Bees' Premier League promotion in 2021 suggest he is more than able to cut it in the English top flight.

Arsenal and Chelsea are both in the market for a No.9, and Brentford's asking price is understood to be in the region of £80 million for a player they paid Peterborough just £10m for in August 2020.

Both London giants could afford such a fee, but an injury to fellow Brentford attacker Bryan Mbeumo has thrown a spanner in the works.

Mbeumo to undergo surgery

"Massive blow for Brentford and Cameroon as Thomas Frank confirms Bryan Mbeumo will have an operation on his ankle today and will be unavailable for 12 weeks," reports The Athletic's Jay Harris. "It means he is ruled out of the Africa Cup of Nations."

While Cameroon will be disappointed to do without Mbeumo's services at AFCON in the Ivory Coast in January and February, Brentford will be loath to sell Toney until at least the end of the season.

Mbeumo has emerged as Brentford's main attacking threat since Toney's injury, hitting seven goals and three assists in the Premier League this season - both team highs.

Yoane Wissa and Neal Maupay are also on the books, but they might not inspire quite the same confidence among Brentford management as Toney, who would be loath to lose the recent England international as they look to pull closer to the European places and away from the drop zone.