SINCE Ivan Toney returned to Brentford training a month ago, he has been lining up for the 'opposition XI' during set-piece routines.
Perhaps there is a certain level of foreshadowing about that.
Toney looks set to be on the move next year and, after his betting ban ends, he could be the subject of a January transfer battle between Arsenal and Chelsea.
Brentford are willing to sell the striker and have set a price tag of £80million for a player who will be in the final 18 months of his contract when he is free to play again on January 17.
Toney has made it clear he wants to move to an elite club and has signed with super-agent Jonathan Barnett in a bid to fulfil that dream.
Despite already spending more than £1billion under owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake, Chelsea are prepared to enter the market again if their goalscoring problems persist.
Arsenal are weighing up whether to bolster their forward line to boost their title bid and the availability of a proven goalscorer could spark a bidding war between the London rivals.
Brentford hope foreign clubs could enter the race but, as things stand, Arsenal and Chelsea are the frontrunners to sign the 27-year-old.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 31, 2023-Ausgabe von Evening Standard.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 31, 2023-Ausgabe von Evening Standard.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Only £65k a month to live like Boy George
The Karma Chameleon singer listed his house for £17m in 2022, turning down offers. Now, he's looking for a tenant
Welcome to London, unicorn capital of Europe
We're flying far ahead of anywhere outside US for tech investment
Arteta's Arsenal evolution The next phase
Malik Ouzia and Simon Collings assess how the Spaniard will try to bring down Man City after he signs up for another three years with the title in his sights
Title fight catches fire after Gunners embrace dark side
Arsenal-City clashes take on a welcome edge of animosity
Whack the hippy gong-boho's back
It happened in Paris one grey February day. Sienna Miller was in an oversized, black leather jacket, lace-trimmed silk slip and clumpy great wedges.
There's a Starlink waiting in the sky... 7,000 in fact.Can Elon Musk stop them crashing to Earth?
As he was preparing his fields for seeding this year, Barry Sawchuk came across a giant slab of space debris. It had come from a spacecraft belonging to Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX.
'Politicians are only into power-mongering, corruption and cronyism'
We speak to alt revolutionary DEEPAK CHOPRA about biomarkers, his digital twin and his work to save humanity from disease
I've been waiting for a production of Godotthis brilliant all my life
Ben Whishaw and Lucian Msamati bring a potent, tragicomic chemistry to James Macdonald’s rich revival of Samuel Beckett’s challenging play.
Trust me, the Ritz is London's bestrestaurant
To whom we turn in moments of gloom and glory can be instructive, a filter of our truest friends. I've fallen out with the Ritz a couple of times, including once after a visit to the bar which didn’t warrant a review (“But you said it was lovely!” they said.
'Healing is a dirty word'
After four traumatic years, FKA twigs is back with a new album -and a thrilling metamorphosis
