Chelsea are allegedly giving consideration to trying to agree a deal with Brentford for Ivan Toney.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino has made no secret of wanting to sign at least one more attacking player before the end of the summer transfer window.
Christopher Nkunku is sidelined until at least November with a knee injury, while Armando Broja has been absent since December due to an ACL injury.
Pochettino has been reliant on Mason Burstow to provide backup to Nicolas Jackson during the opening weeks of the season, it currently unclear whether the youngster will remain at Stamford Bridge or go out on loan.
The same applies with Deivid Washington, recently signed from Santos, and work is seemingly being undertaken behind the scenes to add to the club's options in the final third.
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On Wednesday, it was claimed that Chelsea were preparing to make contact with Manchester City regarding the potential addition of playmaker Cole Palmer.
While that would solve Chelsea's issues for the time being, it appears that they may look to make a major acquisition with the future in mind.
According to The Independent, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital are open to shelling out on Toney over the coming days.
That is despite Toney being unable to participate in any competitive matches until January 2024 courtesy of the ban that he is currently serving for breaching betting regulations.
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As well as bringing his own career to a standstill, the punishment could prove detrimental to Brentford's ability to demand their alleged £80m asking price.
The 27-year-old has less than two years remaining on his contract and there has been no indication that Toney will extend his stay at the Bees past 2025.
Should that remain the case, Brentford's hierarchy effectively have three transfer windows - including the current one which closes on Friday - to generate their reported valuation.
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have also been linked with an approach for the one-cap England international, who has contributed 32 goals and nine assists from his 66 Premier League appearances for Brentford.
Darren Plant
