Chelsea are reportedly no longer pursuing a deal for Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who is set to complete a lucrative move to Al-Ahli of the Saudi Pro League.
Chelsea have reportedly ended their interest in Brentford striker Ivan Toney.
The 28-year-old is set to leave the West London club after a four-year spell, during which he helped the Bees reach the Premier League for the first time.
Toney signed from Peterborough United during the summer transfer window of 2020, just months after Brentford had lost in the Championship playoff final at Wembley.
Under the leadership of Thomas Frank, the striker fired the Bees to promotion from the second tier, netting a sensational 33 goals in 48 league appearances across the 2020-21 campaign.
Since making the switch from League One Posh to Brentford in 2020, Toney has turned out on 141 occasions for the Londoners, scoring on 72 occasions.
![England's Ivan Toney pictured on June 30, 2024 [IMAGO]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/26/ivan-toney_1.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "England's Ivan Toney pictured on June 30, 2024 [IMAGO]")
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Chelsea ‘walk away’ from Toney deal
According to Sky Sports News, Toney will not be moving to one of Brentford’s Premier League rivals before the conclusion of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that Chelsea have walked away from a deal for the 28-year-old, with the Blues no longer pursuing the capture of the England international.
It has been widely reported that Toney has completed a medical in London ahead of a lucrative switch to Al-Ahli in the emerging Saudi Pro League.
It is understood that Enzo Maresca‘s troops are targeting the signing of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, although there are still major obstacles between the Blues and an agreement for the Nigerian.
Incentives in the forward’s contract are proving to be a serious stumbling block for Chelsea, who sold out-of-favour attacker Romelu Lukaku to the Naples-based club on Thursday for £26m.
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The Premier League is set to lose a great striker
With his ability to hold the ball up and provide a moment of magic in attack, Toney will be a massive miss for the Premier League should he complete a switch to the Saudi Pro League.
The Brentford star has gained the reputation of being a cool-headed marksman at both club and international level, especially when taking penalty kicks.
Toney enjoyed his best-ever Premier League campaign during the 2022-23 season, when the ex-Peterborough man bagged 21 goals in 35 top-flight appearances.
An eight-month ban for breaking FA betting rules impacted the striker’s upward trajectory, with the Bees’ talisman netting just four times in 16 league matches since returning from suspension in January.