Romano drops Ivan Toney bomb on Chelsea

Tom Weber

• Updated: 5 Mar 2024 15:19 GMT
• 4 min read

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Chelsea have cooled their interest in Ivan Toney.

The Brentford sharpshooter is one of England's most sought-after commodities. Widely expected to depart in the summer, Toney will be at the heart of one of the upcoming transfer window's biggest sagas.

Bees boss Thomas Frank has already admitted that the 27-year-old will likely be sold as he is out of contract in 2025 and the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd have been heavily linked with the striker. More recently, Newcastle are said to have entered the fray as well; the Magpies could bring Toney back to the club, but they will also stand to bank a fortune if he were to join a different side.

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Already in January, Toney openly admitted to wanting to play for a 'top club' and it seems that it is only a matter of time before the England international achieves this dream. According to Fabrizio Romano, however, the 'top club' in question likely won't be Chelsea.

Chelsea interest cooling

Speaking to CaughtOffside, the Italian transfer expert has revealed that Toney is no longer seen as a priority target by the Blues. “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."

This is good news for his other suitors: "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.”

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As for Arsenal, however, it seems that they too aren't fully convinced by the 27-year-old anymore. Recent reports out of Portugal have suggested that prolific Sporting CP sensation Viktor Gyokeres, who has notched a whopping 32 goals and 11 assists this term, is rapidly rising up the Gunners' shortlist, with Toney tumbling down.