Chelsea's Toney transfer problem as alternatives emerge

Stuart Telford

• 26 Nov 2023 04:18 CST
• 3 min read

Chelsea are in the market for a new No.9 but Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney could both prove out of reach.

The Blues were soundly beaten 4-1 by Newcastle on Saturday, with their only goal coming from a free-kick scored by winger Raheem Sterling.

Nicolas Jackson started up ahead of him, but his six goals in 12 Premier League appearances are rather massaged by the fact he hit a hat-trick against nine-man Tottenham Hotspur three weeks ago.

Indeed, the Senegalese has drawn eight blanks since his €37 million arrival from Villarreal in the summer, and the Blues have reportedly shortlisted Osimhen and Toney as potential replacements.

It is understood Napoli want well in excess of €100m for Osimhen, though, and now Toney could prove similarly unattainable.

"Toney will be free to return to action in mid-January following his […] FA ban, but with Brentford team-mates Bryan Mbeumo and Yoanne Wissa off to the Africa Cup of Nations, he has never been more important," reports The Mirror's Ryan Taylor.

Toney sale 'would defy logic'

"A mid-season sale would defy all logic for Thomas Frank, whose attacking options will be significantly depleted for up to four Premier League matches."

Toney is valued at €27.9m (£24.2m) by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, but it is understood Brentford want nearly four times that fee to part with their star striker.

At a time when Todd Boehly is looking to spend less with the spectre of UEFA's and the Premier League's financial regulations hanging over him, he could, like Osimhen, prove too expensive.

The report suggests Feyenoord's Santiago Gimenez, Bayer Leverkusen's Victor Boniface and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko as potentially cheaper alternatives.

As exclusively revealed by FootballTransfers on Saturday, Gimenez's entourage do not want to push for a transfer in January, with the other two perhaps more likely.

Boniface has been in fine form for Leverkusen this season but like Mbeumo and Wissa, will leave for AFCON in January with Patrick Schick's return from injury likely to assuage his loss and facilitate a transfer.