£60million star ready to join Chelsea in January after scoring 20 goals last season

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According to the Mirror, England striker Ivan Toney is is ready to leave Brentford in January amid interest from Chelsea, just a week after returning from his FA betting ban.

Toney frontman only returned to team training last Monday after an eight-month suspension from all-football activity for breaching FA betting regulations.

The 27 year old striker has reportedly informed Brentford manager Thomas Frank about his desire to leave Brentford in January.

Brentford are reportedly open to letting Toney leave in January provided they receive an offer of £60million for the 27 year old striker, who turns 28 in March.

Toney will have just 18 months left in his contract in January and is also attracting interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.

The Blues are rueing not signing a marquee striker for Mauricio Pochettino this summer after scoring just five goals in five Premier League games this season.

When quizzed on whether he expects offers for Toney to land on Brentford’s doorstep in January, Brentford manager Frank told Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football: “Yeah. I’m just focusing on Brentford. I had a long meeting with him, it was so good to have him back in. We presented him with the plan and we’re just trying to create Ivan Toney 2.0 – the beast.”

Frank added: “For me he’s one of the best strikers, as a striker No.9, I don’t see many out there who is better in the world than him, of course you have [Harry] Kane, [Robert] Lewandowski, [Erling] Haaland and these types, but not many. He scored 20 goals in the Premier League last year, in, of course, a very good Brentford side but of course we are not creating as many chances as the top six or seven teams.

“So imagine him in a top team, he’d easily score 20, 25 goals, for me. I think he’s composed, he’s a good finisher, top mentality, so I understand why clubs are looking at him.”