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Brentford are still holding out for at least £60m for Ivan Toney in this window, although interested clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester United may yet test that stance with the offers of loans with obligations to buy late in the window.
The 28-year-old’s contract is up next year, and he has no willingness to sign a new deal, which puts him in a distinctive position due to the premium on forwards. It is for that reason Brentford have so far refused to give Toney up easily, with the price from January only dropping from £100m.
Arsenal were for a long time seen as the most likely buyers, but were initially put off by that valuation earlier in the year. Mikel Arteta briefly considered pursuing a deal in this window but quickly decided to move onto other options, even before Euro 2024.
That does leave an opening for those willing to be patient.
Chelsea are another seen as a club who would almost be ideal for Toney due to both proximity and the lack of goalscorers in the squad. They are actively looking for forwards, and currently engaged in a long drawn-out negotiation with the camp of Napoli’s Victor Osimhen over wages for a loan deal. A planned purchase of Atletico Madrid Samu Orodion meanwhile collapsed. With Osimhen refusing to lower his demands of €12m a year, Chelsea may yet consider other options.
They have also been put off so far by Brentford’s valuation, but have kept an open interest, and may explore options later the window. It is felt that is when the west London club’s position on Toney could be weakened, as they face up to the possibility of losing him for free next year or for much lower in January.
United have maintained a similar stance to Chelsea. Although there is an unwillingness to go big on a forward of that age under the new recruitment structure, who have also been hampered by Profit and Sustainability limits, but a cost-effective deal for Toney could yet prove attractive. United need a forward but the current priority is in midfield.
Tottenham Hotspur are another seen as an outside option but it would take exceptional circumstances for them to move for a player in that age profile at that price.