Transfer gossip: Chelsea ‘need £160m for Toney’ as Arsenal ‘approach’ Everton star

Chelsea need £160m for a £100m striker while Arsenal turn their attention to an Everton midfielder, and Fulham are ‘offered’ Bobby.

CHELSEA ‘NEED’ £160M FOR TONEY?

Brentford reportedly want £100m for Ivan Toney in January. It’s a lot of money, particularly for someone who hasn’t played football for eight months, but top strikers are hard to come by and Chelsea are more in need than most.

Arsenal are also in the mix as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his stuttering attack at the Emirates, but FFP rules mean the Gunners won’t be able to sign upgrades in all areas, and with a midfielder and two full-backs also on their wishlist according to the Independent, priorities may lie elsewhere this winter.

The report claims Chelsea ‘need to make considerable sales to meet Profit and Sustainability rules before even considering such an outlay’, and it’s thought ‘the race for Toney may actually become a race to see who can raise the necessary funds first’.

‘Any Arsenal move for Toney is probably dependent on whether Eddie Nketiah goes to Crystal Palace’, the report claims, with the England international also linked with West Ham.

But Chelsea ‘realistically need to raise at least £160m to go for Toney’ – which is a particularly odd choice of phrasing from the Independent – and are willing to sell any and all of Ian Maatsen, Trevoh Chalobah and Conor Gallagher in order to do so.

ARSENAL ‘APPROACH’ ONANA

TEAMtalk reckon Arteta is prioritising a new midfielder in January, claiming Arsenal ‘have made an approach to sign’ Amadou Onana from Everton.

The Belgium international moved to the Toffees from Lille for £3m in the summer of 2022 and has been linked with bigger and better things ever since.

It’s claimed Arteta is a ‘huge admirer’ of the 22-year-old, and is now their top target over Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz, who was heavily linked with a move to the Emirates in the summer.

The report states the Gunners ‘could make an offer for Onana in the near future’, which we presume means they want the deal done in January.

BOBBY’S BACK

Oh, Bobby, it’s not gone all that well in Saudi Arabia, has it? Liverpool hero Roberto Firmino was named captain of Al Ahli, scored a hat-trick on debut, but hasn’t got a sausage since.

He’s not started any of their last eight Saudi Pro League games, with Firas Al-Buraikan preferred to lead the line by manager Matthias Jaissle.

And talkSPORT claim Firmino could make a sensational return to the Premier League just six months after he left, with Fulham ‘offered the chance’ to sign him.

Sheffield United also showed an interest in the Brazilian before Paul Heckinbottom was shown the door.

Firmino won the lot in his eight-year stay at Liverpool, making 362 appearances for the Reds, scoring 111 goals.

It’s thought Fulham are looking to add an experienced striker to their ranks as competition for Raul Jimenez after talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic joined Al Hilal in the summer.