Brentford’s Ivan Toney has just received a glowing verdict from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
This comes at a time when Chelsea are linked with a move for the Brentford striker.
Ivan Toney, 27, is now back playing after serving his ban from football.
Remarkably, the English centre-forward has two goals in two Premier League matches since his return in January.
Pep Guardiola, who’s coached some of the very best players in the world, has spoken very positively about Toney ahead of Brentford versus Manchester City on Monday night.
“He’s an exceptional player. Not just with the long balls, with keeping (the ball) and set-pieces, with the penalties as a guarantee,” Guardiola said, as quoted by The Independent.
“For many things they can link with him and he’s an extraordinary player.
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“I’m so happy he is back and hopefully that period is forgotten in his life and for his family. Exceptional players always are more than welcome in the Premier League.”
Pep Guardiola rates Ivan Toney
Just like Guardiola, we think Toney is a fabulous footballer. In fact, we’re adamant he needs a big-money transfer in the summer, but fair enough for staying loyal to Brentford for the rest of the 2023/24 season.
Journalist Simon Phillips recently claimed via Substack that Chelsea’s owners have internally discussed Toney as a possible target.
Meanwhile, journalist Dean Jones told GiveMeSport that he’s convinced Chelsea will end up battling Arsenal to sign Toney.
We think Chelsea’s main focus in the summer should be recruiting a clinical No 9 to lead the line. For us, Toney ticks so many boxes as the perfect striker to target.
In the meantime, the Blues need to rely on the likes of Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku at the top end of the pitch. We do question the decision to send Armando Broja out on loan on deadline day earlier this week.
