Highlights
- Chelsea are interested in signing a Premier League striker alongside the widely reported interest in Victor Osimhen.
- The Blues struggled in front of goal yet again this weekend, drawing 0-0 at Bournemouth.
- Chelsea’s disappointing start to the season has seen new front man Nicolas Jackson miss six big chances in only five matches.
Chelsea are now interested in signing a Premier League striker in the January transfer window, according to journalist Paul Brown.
Who are Chelsea signing in January?
Although Chelsea signed Nicolas Jackson in the summer transfer window, joining from Villarreal in a £32m deal, they are already being linked with other strikers ahead of the January transfer window, with Victor Osimhen being named as a key target.
The Napoli striker is “top of the list” of new strikers, but a move would “not seem possible in January”, according to transfer insider Dean Jones, meaning the Blues may have to turn their attentions elsewhere to replace Jackson, who has missed six “big chances” in five top flight games so far.
Ollie Watkins is named as a potential target by Jones, if Aston Villa have not nailed him down to a new contract by the January transfer window, with Mauricio Pochettino open to refreshing his attacking options in 2024, and the manager has another Premier League player in mind.
In an interview with GiveMeSport, Brown has now claimed that Ivan Toney will be of interest to Chelsea this winter, at which point his ban will have ended after admitting to 232 breaches of the Football Association’s betting rules.
The journalist said: “It’s clear that Chelsea need some proven firepower in the Premier League because it’s not currently working. They’re creating chances, but they don’t really have a proper finisher or someone that you can really rely on and be guaranteed to get 20 to 30 goals a season. Ivan Toney is probably in that bracket, so I think he would certainly be of interest to Chelsea and I think he’d be a great signing.”
How many goals has Ivan Toney scored for Brentford?
Toney has a very solid record in front of goal for the Bees, finding the back of the net 68 times in 124 appearances, and his 2022-23 campaign was no doubt his most impressive yet, proving himself as one of the top flight’s best strikers.
The England international finished the season on 20 goals, the third-highest of any player in the Premier League, and he was lauded as “remarkable” by manager Thomas Frank off the back of scoring in a 2-1 win against Nottingham Forest in April.
It was not the first time Frank has singled out the 27-year-old for praise, previously saying: “He is a special footballer, I think his character is unique in terms of leadership and driving his team. His link-up play and the way he sees his team-mates around in terms of combinations and then his ability to score goals. He is an all-round football player.”
It is still very early days in the Premier League season, but Chelsea have made a disappointing start, collecting just five points from their opening five games, and failing to find the back of the net against AFC Bournemouth at the weekend.
If the Blues continue to struggle in front of goal, Pochettino will have to think about entering the market for a striker in January, and Toney could be the perfect signing, given that he is already proven at Premier League level.
