How Chelsea will make £40m Premier League target fit into their tough wage structure | OneFootball

We had really given up almost entirely on the idea of Chelsea signing a striker this summer. It seemed like the club had tried everything, from elite options like Victor Osimhen to potential rotation options and talents like Jhon Duran – without any success.

But as the deadline closes in, clubs everywhere are starting to scramble, and it looks very much like a move for Brentford striker Ivan Toney could still be on the cards.

Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol certainly thinks so. He wrote this afternoon that the Blues had “made a move” to sign the striker, and see him as the ideal option to be their “proven goalscorer” at number 9. Still very much in the race are offers from Saudi Arabia, which include an “incredible offer,” but we can offer Premier League football and they can’t…

https:/twitter.com/SkyKaveh/status/1828403809141354610

A big decision for Toney – and Chelsea

All other things being equal, we’re sure that Toney would take a move to Stamford Bridge over Saudi Arabia. But all things aren’t equal, and that’s especially true when you consider Chelsea’s plans this summer. They have made a concerted effort to lower the wage bill, to the extent that they’ve frozen out regular players from last season including Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling purely because of their wages.

How do they intend to compete with eye-watering offers from Saudi for Toney then? Apparently, simply by relying on the player’s desire to play in Europe. Solhekol claims that both that the transfer fee will be “reasonable” and that the striker is willing to “fit into” our wage structure. That likely means a relatively low base salary, but with large uplifts for scoring goals and winning things.

It would be harsh on Nicolas Jackson, who has done almost everything right – but there’s no denying Toney would be a potentially massive signing for us.