Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been linked with a move away from the club and the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea are reportedly keen on him.
The 27-year-old striker is currently suspended for breaching gambling regulations, and he will return to action midway through January.
He will want to join a big club and compete at the highest level. Moving to Arsenal or Chelsea could be an interesting opportunity for him and it remains to be seen where he ends up.
Journalist Dean Jones has now revealed to Give Me Sport that the player would probably pick Arsenal as his preferred destination if given a choice between the two London clubs.
Chelsea are going through a period of uncertainty right now. They finished in the midtable positions last year and they have been quite mediocre this season as well. They might not be able to secure Champions League qualification and that could be a big problem when it comes to attracting top players.
Jones said: “Chelsea have got Nicolas Jackson, who is an out-and-out nine, he’s just not scored enough goals so far this season. And they’ve got Christopher Nkunku coming back in and they’ve got a lot of other forward players who can play in and around that position. We don’t even know what Chelsea’s level is or what it’s going to be in the next couple of years.
“But at Arsenal, it’s more established now in terms of what their vision is. They’re going to be in the Champions League next season, they’re going to be challenging for the Premier League title and they’ve got Eddie Nketiah, but he is not really on that Toney level. And I think that’s why if you gave him a straight choice, that was about football, I think he would probably go for Arsenal.”
On the other hand, Arsenal are competing at the highest level right now. They were the Premier League runners-up last season and the Gunners are currently on top of the league table. In addition to that, Arsenal need a prolific goalscorer and Toney will be a key first-team member for them.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the 27-year-old decided to move to Arsenal in the coming months. It remains to be seen which of the two clubs come forward with a concrete proposal to sign him in the coming weeks.