Chelsea receive major blow in quest to sign £80m striker

Photo: Getty images

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Chelsea’s hopes of signing Ivan Toney from Brentford has been handed a major blow, following Thomas Frank’s latest comments regarding the player.

The Blues, who are eager to solve their striking problems, have been linked with Toney for some months now, as have Premier League rivals, Arsenal and Manchester United.

Toney is currently serving an eight-month ban from football after he was found guilty of breaching betting rules by the Premier League.

The 27-year-old is however set to return in mid-January, having already returned to first-team training.

Asked about the forward leaving Brentford in January, Frank told a press conference: “I hope not.

“I want him to stay. Ivan is happy to stay. He is happy at the club. What happens in the future is impossible to guess about.”

He continued: “He’s a top player, one of our most important players, if not the most important last year. Any player that can score 20-plus goals in the Premier League are very, very important.

“Ivan’s skillset in terms of finishing abilities with his left and right (foot), heading and his composure in those moments and his link-up play and his presence, character, is a very good package.

“It’s not (up to) me to put a price tag on him, it’s down to the club. But I’m happy with him, I hope he plays here forever and I’m the coach.”

Toney scored an impressive 20 league goals for Brentford last season, and would be a great addition to any side, although it remains to be seen whether he can shoulder the pressure of playing for a team like Chelsea.