Transfer Talk: Arsenal, Chelsea will need £100m for Toney
The summer transfer window has closed throughout Europe, but there are still moves in the works and plenty of gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Toney rated at £100 million
Brentford want £100 million for Ivan Toney amid interest from Arsenal and Chelsea, according to Sky Sports.
The Bees intend to keep the striker until the end of the season at least, with his eight-month ban for betting offences coming to an end on Jan. 16.
While the 27-year-old’s return will be encouraging for Brentford boss Thomas Frank, it has also sparked interest among a number of Premier League clubs keen to sigh the striker. It would, however, take a monumental offer for the Gunners, Blues or any other club to bring him in, with suggestions of a deal worth approximately £50m or £60m reportedly being mocked at the Brentford Community Stadium.
This comes with Toney having come third in the Premier League goal-scoring charts after scoring 20 goals last term.
“£100m plus?… What would you pay for a striker that guarantees you 20-plus goals?” Frank said in the summer. “And this is 20 goals for a mid-table club. What can he do in a bigger club?”
Brentford will be especially keen not to lose Toney in January due to the expected absences of Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo for DR Congo and Cameroon respectively at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Kevin Schade is also sidelined due to injury.
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PAPER TALK
– AC Milan have been following Lille striker Jonathan David for some time and see the Canada international as a priority option to strengthen their attack, says Tuttosport. Milan are hoping to utilise their positive relationship with Lille, formed when the Rossoneri signed Rafael Leão in 2019, to help facilitate a move for David, whose contract ends in 2025.
– Juventus are continuing to push forward in their attempts to sign Udinese midfielder Lazar Samardzic in January, reports Calciomercato, although a move is more likely if Udinese are in a position to avoid relegation. They currently sit outside of the bottom three on goal difference, so Juventus could include a player in addition to the €25m Udinese want for the 21-year-old.
– Vinícius Júnior has signed a contract extension to stay with Real Madrid until 2027, as confirmed on the club’s official channels. The 23-year-old winger initially joined Los Blancos from Flamengo in 2018 and has since won nine trophies including the Champions League and two LaLiga titles.
– Juventus have reached an agreement with Manuel Locatelli and the midfielder’s entourage on a new contract that will run until 2028, reports Calciomercato, which adds that a signature is all that is missing in the 25-year-old’s deal. Nicolo Fagioli is also close to penning a deal from the same length of time, despite the 22-year-old midfielder currently facing a betting ban.
– Stade de Reims and FC Utrecht are both closely monitoring Strasbourg midfielder Samir El-Mourabet, reports L’Equipe. The 18-year-old is yet to make a competitive first-team appearance but has been called up to training by Le Racing boss Patrick Vieira on several occasions and has an intern contract that runs until 2025.
