The potential Ivan Toney Chelsea transfer fee could be worth as much as £50m, according to various reports.
The Blues have entered the race to sign the Brentford and England international forward before the summer transfer window closes for English clubs on Friday, as he reportedly is one of a number of key striker targets for Enzo Maresca's side.
However, Toney has already agreed personal terms with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, and could transfer there instead if a suitable fee can be agreed with Brentford. At the time of writing, Al-Ahli have reportedly offered £42m, but the Bees want £50m to sell their star striker.
Should this deal collapse, then Chelsea could be ready to pounce. Wantaway striker Romelu Lukaku is reportedly close to signing for Napoli in Serie A for a transfer fee of around £37.5m, including add-ons, meaning that the Blues are prepared to make as much as £60m of a loss on the player that they re-signed from Inter Milan for a whopping £97.5m back in 2021.
Nonetheless, losing the Belgium international frees up a space in the squad for a new striker. Also, it helps generate a significant amount of money towards a potential deal for Toney.
Ivan Toney Chelsea transfer fee: Is he worth £50m?
Given that Toney only has one year remaining on his contract at Brentford and is 28 years of age, £50m seems quite steep for his services. However, the fact that he is an England international does inflate the transfer fee somewhat, added to the fact that he is a proven goalscorer in the Premier League.
Indeed, in the two seasons before last, when Toney was banned for several months for betting, he scored 12 and 20 goals, respectively, in the English top flight. Considering that he plays for a Brentford team that does not create as many chances as some of the other bigger and more successful clubs in the division, these numbers are highly impressive.
Toney is also renowned for being an expert penalty taker, and has scored an astonishing 30 of the 32 penalties that he has taken in his club career so far. It should be said that Chelsea already boast an excellent penalty taker in Cole Palmer, but when he is not on the pitch for the Blues, Toney provides a shrewd alternative.
Nicolas Jackson has proven that he can score goals for Chelsea, with 14 in the Premier League last season and opening the scoring in their 6-2 demolishing of Wolves at Molineux on Sunday afternoon. However, he can be very frustrating in front of goal at the best of times and misses plenty of decent chances.
Toney could come in to be the new focal point in Maresca's team, and with the attacking talents of the likes of Palmer, Joao Felix, Pedro Neto and Christopher Nkunku in and around him, he could score plenty of goals at Stamford Bridge.
