Chelsea and Arsenal handed further transfer boost as £80m January target plots stunning exit

Chelsea and Arsenal target Ivan Toney will return to the field for the first time this week in a behind-closed-doors training match as he steps his return.

Toney has been banned from playing for betting violations but returned to team training last month with just three months of the ban remaining. His return date to likely play for the club will be the game against Tottenham on January 30th but that depends on the Winter break and how far the Bees go in the Cup competition.

Toney has told close friends he would want a new challenge and has recently signed super-agent Jonathan Barnett as he plots his exit from Brentford with manager Thomas Frank admitting he could be sold at the right price.

The Brentford manager said last month: “I think every club in the world are a selling club except five or six clubs. We are a selling club if the right price is there.

“I think if it’s the right time for the player to go, from my perspective that’s not my decision that would be Phil [Giles, director of football] or Matthew [Benham, Brentford’s owner] in the end, then I think if they have developed well with us, been on the journey, and now they’re proven good enough to go to the top clubs, then I think it’s the right thing, if it’s the right price.”

When Toney is fit and ready, he’s considered as one of the best strikers in the Premier League evidenced by his 20 goals last season only bettered by Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.