Chelsea struggled to put the ball in the back of the net last season, and it should come to no surprise that the Blues are in the market for a primary striker this summer. Although the Blues have signed Nicolas Jackson from Villareal, it is widely believed that another striker will be bought in as the No.9 next season. Many strikers have already been linked including the likes of Lautaro Martinez, Dusan Vlahovic, and Randal Kolo Muani, however, a new shock name has now re-entered conversations as Chelsea’s potential marquee striker signing.
Chelsea interested in shock move for chastened Brentford star
According to exclusive news from journalist Felix Johnston, the Blues sporting director Paul Winstanley is interested in signing Brentford striker Ivan Toney not this summer, but in January. It’s reported that the club has been in contact with Toney’s camp and the player wouldn’t oppose to a move. Toney was a name that was mentioned as a potential striker target last season, but any links were halted as the England international was served an 8 month ban from the English FA for gambling.
Despite the controversy surrounding Toney, the 27-year-old remains an elite Premier League striker. Last season with Brentford, Toney recorded 20 goals and four assists, leading the Bees to a 9th place finish in the league.
The England international is one of the Premier League’s best finishers and despite doing most of his work in the box as a target man, he’s more than capable of dropping back to help in the team build up and even creating chances for teammates. Toney is also arguably the best penalty taker in the Premier League, boasting a near perfect record of 29 goals scored out of 31 from the penalty spot.
In addition, Toney is a leader and a presence that could benefit this young Chelsea squad by leading the Blues front line. Barring the controversy, Toney could’ve easily been Chelsea’s top striker target this summer but with his ban being lifted by January of next year, it presents the opportunity for Chelsea to assess during the first half of the season whether an additional striker is truly needed. In whatever case, Ivan Toney would be one of the most ideal striker targets for Chelsea if the Blues are not impatient in wanting an elite No.9 before the start of the 2023/24 campaign.