Cole Palmer might have to relinquish his penalty duties if Chelsea pull off their latest transfer deal.
The England international has been Chelsea’s main man from the spot – scoring all nine he took last season for the club.
But the Blues have made Ivan Toney their top target before the transfer window shuts in three days time in a late swoop.
The Brentford star, who has been left out of both of the club’s Premier League games this season so far, has agreed on a move to Saudi side Al Ahli.
Cole Palmer might have to give up penalty duties
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However, Toney could be persuaded to stay in England and Chelsea have launched an attempt – though the wages will be lower than what Al Ahli have offered, report The Telegraph.
Chelsea have yet to made an official offer, with the Bees wanting £50million for the striker, who is out of contract next summer.
The feeling is that Chelsea will not make an offer that high and look set to try land the former Newcastle star for a fraction of that price.
However, they are not the only club interested in his services with Manchester United also rumoured to be pondering whether or not to enter the race for his signature.
If Toney does make the switch to Chelsea, just up the road from Brentford in west London, part of the deal to convince him could include him being the club’s main penalty taker.
That would be a huge hit to Palmer, who has been excellent when asked to step up to the spot.
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The former Manchester City ace has scored some pivotal spot-kicks for Chelsea since signing in the summer of 2023, including against his old club in injury-time to level the scores 4-4.
There were also two penalties against United, and efforts netted against Arsenal and Tottenham as well last season.
Whether or not Palmer is willing to give up his penalty duties remains to be seen and the 22-year-old has already had to fend off his team-mates.
Last season, an embarrassing moment for the Blues saw Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke try wrestle the ball off Palmer during a 6-0 thrashing of Everton in April.
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Brentford star Ivan Toney is wanted by Chelsea in the transfer window
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After other team-mates intervened, eventually Palmer was handed the ball and he took the penalty, which he scored before laying down a statement in his post-match press conference.
He said after the match: “Other players wanted to take it which was understandable, the game was 4-0. But I’m the penalty taker and I wanted to take it so I took it.
“But I think we are just trying to show that everyone wants to take responsibility and stuff like that.
“Maybe it was a bit of an over the top the argument, but everyone wants to win and help. But it was nothing major and we were laughing and joking about it. But the gaffer has told us now.”
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Ivan Toney, like Cole Palmer, is a expert penalty taker
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Toney is an expert penalty-taker himself and has a fascinating technique where he stares at the goalkeeper the entire time before planting his effort into the net.
And it has been a foolproof method, having missed from the 12-yard spot just twice out of an incredible 32 – while that does not include shootouts, having scored in England’s penalty victory over Switzerland at Euro 2024.