For much of 2024, Ivan Toney has not been a name much associated with Chelsea. Once Victor Osimhen signed a new contract at Napoli in December 2023, it looked like he was off the cards as well.
Yet, come deadline day this summer, it is these two who are of the most interest for the Blues. Once it became apparent that Paris Saint-Germain weren’t going in for Osimhen and Arsenal hadn’t really entered the chat at all, it was over to Chelsea.
Having been admirers of the 25-year-old for some time now – Frank Lampard making his thoughts on the striker clear in 2019 – Chelsea’s pursuit of Osimhen this summer has come almost belatedly. They first joined the race for Benjamin Sesko before the Euros, then turned attention towards Jhon Duran and Jonathan David.
Talks and proceedings got to different stages. Samu Omorodion was effectively wearing a Chelsea shirt when his deal collapsed, and so Osimhen remained. The most high-profile of the names but with the most high-profile of price tags and wage demands.
Perhaps it was dealing with Napoli, the previous between Chelsea and Aurelio De Laurentiis, or just the optics of the deal as a whole, but Osimhen always felt like a deadline day transfer in waiting. Toney hadn’t been someone really in the mainstream for a while.
Chelsea had once more looked towards the 28-year-old in the past but seemed further away after it was suggested he didn’t fit their desired profile. Even this week, he was viewed more as a safe alternative to Osimhen than a first choice.
Chelsea now faces the prospect of landing neither. Although the chances of Al-Ahli signing the pair are also unlikely, there is a challenge to striking an agreement with either.
Chelsea are still pushing to have him fit in with the club’s wage structure, something their Saudi Arabian rivals have no such need to do. Toney has likewise been presented with an enormous proposal that reports say will rise to £100million with a fixed price and wages.
Should Chelsea be unsuccessful in their bid to bring in what currently appears to be the first and second choice, then an alternative to the alternatives will be needed. Simply due to timing, it would be a surprise if that was someone not previously explored.
The obvious go-to here is Duran. He was in talks to leave Villa to join West Ham, even going as far as dropping a hint online that he was ‘a hammer.’
Chelsea have been fans of Duran even when the public perception of him has remained mixed (at best). They moved on from talks with Unai Emery’s side swiftly once quoted with a price, though. Even without too much Premier League pedigree, the 2-year-old is one of the more obvious replacements for Chelsea.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been another mentioned, but that would only happen if Armando Broja was to join Everton and neither are close. The England international would represent a serious move away from other targets.
David hasn’t been in the frame as a serious candidate really since his own initial enquiry from the Blues. Viktor Gyokeres is the only other recognisable senior striker who could find themselves back on the radar. The Swede has started this season where he left off, scoring goals and lots of them.
Sporting CP’s valuation of him is above £80million though, and Chelsea have been distanced from the former Coventry man in the past. It certainly doesn’t leave Chelsea without options if Osimhen and Toney aren’t purchased, but the alternatives aren’t as glamorous.
