Chelsea take advantage over Arsenal in race for big money striker

Following their victory over Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea face another tough test on Sunday as they face Premier League leaders Manchester City. 

The Blues took advantage of Spurs having two players sent off on Monday night, with a Nicolas Jackson hat-trick earning Mauricio Pochettino’s side a 4-1 win over his former club.

Despite the win, Chelsea still sit eighth in the Premier League table after an underwhelming start to the campaign.

Scoring goals has been arguably the Blues’ biggest issue of late, and it appears that those in charge of the club are plotting to solve their attacking issues.

As reported by Football Insider, the Blues have overtaken London rivals Arsenal in the race to sign Brentford striker Ivan Toney.

Chelsea are set to battle it out with the Gunners, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur for the Englishman’s signature next year.

Toney, 27, is currently banned from football after being found guilty of breaching football betting regulations, although he will be able to return to action in January.

Since joining the Bees from Football League side Peterborough United in 2020, Toney has scored 68 goals in 124 matches for the club across all competitions.

His contract is set to expire in 2025, though, and the West London outfit could therefore choose to sell the striker next year before his value reduces.

Brentford will demand more than £70 million for the player, according to the report, but he is set to be the centre of a bidding war between several of the Premier League’s biggest clubs.

Despite Arsenal’s long-standing interest in the striker, the report claims that Chelsea are at an advantage in the race to sign Toney due to their willingness to spend big, whereas Arsenal are reluctant to overpay.