"He goes into most teams, apart from Man City" - Agbonlahor names striker who will be an upgrade to Nicolas Jackson at Chelsea
Gabby Agbonlahor has urged Chelsea to sign Brentford striker Ivan Toney in the January window. He believes the Englishman will be an upgrade on Nicolas Jackson.
Toney is currently suspended from football after breaching the FA's betting rules. He can only return to the pitch in mid-January next year and has already been linked with a move away from Brentford.
Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keen on signing him. Agbonlahor joked the Blues will lure him with a 20-year contract and believes he will be an upgrade on Jackson. He said:
"I think Toney is an upgrade on Jackson at Chelsea, who's a bit raw still. But he goes into most teams, apart from Man City. Chelsea will want to make it happen, and they'll give him the 20-year deal to do that."
Talking about competition from Tottenham, he added:
"But I think Spurs should look at him as well. They've got Maddison, Son, Kulusevski – but they're missing a top striker. Richarlison isn't the answer. Toney could give a team like Tottenham a huge push for the second half of the season. I think he will have his pick of clubs. Strikers like him are rare, and they're sought-after."
Brentford have reportedly put a £80 million price tag on Toney.
Brentford manager not paying attention to Chelsea and Ivan Toney rumors
Brentford manager Thomas Frank has stated that he is not paying attention to transfer rumors around Ivan Toney. He understands why the striker is in demand but believes that the decision will take time as he is still suspended.
Frank added that he is waiting to add the Chelsea target back to his squad. He said (via GOAL):
"Social media I know is there, I never take anything [from it]. Good thing I’m not on social media, let me put it that way. When it’s out there I’m definitely not seeing it as the truth in any way. But I guess it’s positive, he’s a good player, I understand why there are big clubs looking at him. He’s a fantastic player, he’s done fantastic for us, but he’s our player and we’re looking forward to getting him back in the group."
Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United have also been linked with Toney. The Blues are leading the race as per a report in GOAL.