London rivals Chelsea and Spurs to battle for prolific EFL striker

When judging a striker who has excelled in the Championship, it’s always difficult to tell exactly how well they’d fare in England’s premier footballing division. 

Aleksander Mitrovic topped the scoring charts last season as Fulham won play-off promotion to the Premier League but has only netted three times this term, while Ollie Watkins was second and has this year amassed a very credible 13 for Aston Villa, earning himself Three Lions status.

Now, The Sun report that London’s top clubs have all got their eyes on one of the most prolific strikers in the capital, with Brentford’s Ivan Toney being tracked by Chelsea, Tottenham and West Ham.

Football Insider had reported that Tottenham had Toney in their sights almost a week ago, but The Sun update brings Chelsea and West Ham into what will be a bitter battle.

The 25-year-old striker has scored 30 goals in 44 Championship games this season, with The Bees securing a chance at the playoffs for a second consecutive year, despite losing the aforementioned Watkins and Said Benrhama in the transfer window.

Ivan Toney scored 40 goals in 76 League One appearances for former side Peterborough United

The former Northampton and Newcastle man has only been at the West-London club for a year, after joining from League One Peterborough as the perfect replacement last summer.

The Bees are guaranteed third place with one game left to play and will face one of Swansea, Bournemouth or Barnsley in the semi-finals of the end-of-season tournament, as they look to reach the top division for the first time since 1947.

Toney’s side also reached the semi-final of the EFL Cup before an eventual 2-0 defeat to potential suitors Tottenham, a game in which the frontman started but unsurprisingly failed to get the better of rigid opposition.

Despite that audition performance, Toney has shown that he’s got more than enough ability and it’s no surprise after two prolific seasons that some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League are eyeing him up.