The saying in football is that the best players are the ones who aren’t available, and Ivan Toney is living proof.
Usually it’s player who are out injured who end up becoming better and better the longer they’re out – Christopher Nkunku was the perfect example for Chelsea this season.
But Toney’s betting ban had the same effect. As the months passed without him having kicked a ball, his reputation – and price tag – grew and grew.
It seemed inevitable that either Arsenal or Chelsea or one of the other interested teams would buy him. But since he’s returned to actually playing again – in a struggling Brentford team – the bubble has burst.
Now Fabrizio Romano is reporting to Caught Offside that Chelsea are losing faith:
“I’m not sure Chelsea are that convinced on Ivan Toney anymore, I think they’ve started to look at different kinds of strikers in terms of age. Toney could be an option for Arsenal, but we’ll see.”
Certainly the £100m figures that were being thrown around months ago look laughable, and Brentford are maybe wishing they’d cashed in in January. If things carry on as they are, he’s not going to be worth half that by the summer.
More must-reads: