Chelsea have made a late swoop for Brentford striker Ivan Toney, with the Blues looking to hijack his move to Saudi Arabia.
Toney had reportedly agreed to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, but Chelsea have now entered the race after a deal for Napoli's Victor Osimhen stalled. Osimhen's wage demands are said to have been an issue and Toney could now end up at Stamford Bridge instead.
The England international has entered the final year of his contract at Brentford and has long been linked with a move away from West London. He has not featured in Brentford's opening Premier League games, with manager Thomas Frank admitting: "A lot of things going on with Ivan.
"Especially with transfers, there's a lot of transfer interest. Because of all that, we've decided not to include him in the squad. I can't give too much away the day before. Of course Ivan is a top player, we all know that.
"He has been fantastic for us for four years but we showed last season we can cope without him." And Sky Sports are now reporting that Chelsea are attempting to hijack Al-Ahli's move for the striker.
Chelsea are looking to sign a proven goalscorer before the transfer window slams shut and are said to be confident they can persuade him to remain in the Premier League, despite Toney having a huge contract offer on the table from Al-Ahli.
It is claimed the transfer fee will be 'reasonable' and that Toney will fit into Chelsea's wage structure. The 28-year-old has scored 36 goals in 85 Premier League games for Brentford and has previously spoken openly of his desire to join a bigger club.
"Everyone wants to play at the top of the tree," Toney told the Diary of a CEO podcast last year. "Not that Brentford aren't there, but everyone wants to play for these big clubs and compete for trophies.
"If a chance was to come along, I would be silly not to look into it. The manager knows that I want to play at the highest level possible and whenever that time comes, so be it. My time at Brentford has been probably the best of my career.