Brentford are reportedly keen on keeping Ivan Toney until the summer. The Bees are said to be planning on signing the Englishman onto a new deal at the Gtech Community stadium that will include a release clause amid interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham.
According to transfer insider Simon Phillips, Toney could sign a better deal with a larger salary and a release clause to match Brentford’s valuation of the player. Multiple reports have claimed that the London club would want no less than £100million for the 27-year-old.
Arsenal have identified Toney as their top striker target as they look to boost their returns up top with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah failing to make the desired impact in terms of goals so far this season while Chelsea need another forward to take the pressure off new signing Nicholas Jackson.
Tottenham are also chasing Toney’s signature having failed to line up a replacement for Harry Kane over the summer. Victor Osimhen has been linked with all three clubs as well but Napoli are refusing to let him go midway through the season, meaning Toney looks to be the most viable option down the middle.
Osimhen’s contractual situation suggests that a deal could be done in the summer which Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis recently alluded to when comparing his position to that of Kalidou Koulibaly.
“I have never been unhappy towards Osimhen, but there are always two of us in these things,” he said. “I have remained the same, if his mood has changed [over a new deal] I can’t do anything about it.
“If things change after a handshake, it’s disappointing, we take note of it but then life goes on. There are excellent relations with him, but the contract expires in 2025, so there is time. Don’t forget that I sold Koulibaly [to Chelsea] a year before his contract expired.”
The Napoli man is valued at £125m which would be a difficult transfer to pull off in January due to the tight Financial Fair Play restrictions at the top.
