Some Chelsea fans are calling for the club to sign Ivan Toney this summer - even after the forward was banned from football for eight months.
Toney's long-awaited suspension arrived on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to 262 breaches of the FA's betting policy, meaning he is unable to kick a ball again until January 2024.
Brentford must now look for a solution to the absence of their top scorer, who has netted 20 time in the Premier League this season, the third most of any player.
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Chelsea, meanwhile, are desperate for a striker, and some supporters have called for the club to make a bid for the 27-year-old in the summer despite his ban.
"I think Toney is realistically a top 10 striker in Europe, so personally I think he’s worth it," said one supporter on Twitter.
"Now thinking of it, his price goes down no? If it does then we should just get him and do with Lukaku for the first half of the season," said another.
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"If I was Chelsea I would still look at Toney," added a third. "Should be able to get him cheap now, he can train from September & finally with the exception on Kane, he’s the only complete striker on the market."
Toney can't train for four months, though it appears the ban will include the off-season, meaning he won't miss as much football as he may have done had a ban come much earlier or later.
It's clear to see why Blues fans are desperate to improve their attacking ranks, with the side struggling to score goals this term, finding the back of the net just 41 times in 35 games in the league.
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Romelu Lukaku could return to the club in the summer following his loan move to Inter Milan, but it seems owner Todd Boehly is set to spend once again to help manager-in-waiting Mauricio Pochettino rebuild a tepid Chelsea side.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Premier League, Fan Reactions, Chelsea, Brentford