Chelsea have been in the market for a new striker ever since the summer 2024 transfer window opened, as Nicolas Jackson had an uneven first season at Stamford Bridge.
Napoli star Victor Osimhen has long been heralded as the ideal No. 9 for Chelsea, having led all players in Serie A in goals during the 2022/23 season before sliding back a bit in 2023/24 due to injuries.
Osimhen’s recent injury record, wages, and transfer cost have caused Chelsea to cool their interest in the world-class No. 9, and they have actually spent more resources signing wide forwards.
However, Chelsea are circling back to a striker signing in the final days of the summer transfer window, and while many expected that striker to be Osimhen, it looks like the Blues are going for another No. 9 they were linked with at the beginning of the market.
According to a report from Sky Sports’s Kaveh Solhekol, Chelsea have made a move to sign Brentford star Ivan Toney, previously linked with London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal.
Solhekol states that Chelsea will sign Toney only if the asking prices from Brentford and Toney’s wages are sensible, and, as with Osimhen, they will be competing with a big offer from the Saudi Pro League in order to sign the established Premier League striker.
Toney made a name for himself in the 2022/23 season when Brentford quietly pushed for a European place, scoring 20 goals with 4 assists as a real all-around threat on the counter.
The 28-year-old is both older and less prolific than Osimhen, but he could be a little bit cheaper and has a Premier League track record. If Chelsea want to play more in transition, then Toney also makes sense from that vantage point.
Solhekol notes that Chelsea have not ruled out a signing for Osimhen, but if they are approaching Toney first, then that says a lot about how feasible they think a move for the Nigerian superstar is – or they are merely using interest in Toney as a smokescreen to get Napoli to give in to their own demands.
