Chelsea add Ivan Toney to transfer wishlist but bid hinges on betting ban
helsea have put Brentford striker Ivan Toney on a transfer shortlist of potential summer signings as they target a new forward, pending the outcome of his Football Association betting charges.
Toney appeared in front of a disciplinary panel on Tuesday after being charged with a total of 262 breaches of FA guidelines between February 2017 and January 2021.
The 27-year-old is contesting many of the charges but has accepted some and could face a lengthy ban. No date has been set for a decision.
Toney has enjoyed a brilliant season for Brentford, scoring 20 Premier League goals, and was handed his England debut in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine in March.
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Chelsea want to sign a new striker for incoming head coach Mauricio Pochettino and have identified Toney as a possible target.
It is thought Brentford would be willing to sell Toney this summer because he only has two years left on his contract, though their manager Thomas Frank last week valued him at over £100million and the Bees would demand a sizeable fee.
A long ban for his betting breaches is likely to scupper any chance of a move to Chelsea.
In 2020, Kieran Trippier was banned for 10 weeks by the FA after he was found to have broken betting rules. In 2017, Joey Barton was banned for 18 months – later reduced to 13 on appeal – after admitting placing 1,260 football-related bets over a 10-year period.
Chelsea also have Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez on their shortlist of forward options. Osimhen led Napoli to the Serie A title this season, while Martinez scored on Tuesday as Inter reached the Champions League final by beating rivals AC Milan.
Romelu Lukaku is also due to return to Chelsea this summer after a season on loan at Inter. Inter have a verbal agreement to extend his loan for another season but his sizeable wages, plus a loan fee, are putting them off amid their financial problems.
Chelsea have already agreed a deal to sign RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku for £53m. Nkunku primarily sees himself as a No10 but can play on the wing or up front.
