Glen Johnson has insisted that Chelsea should pay no more than £80million for Ivan Toney. The 27-year-old striker was heavily linked with an exit from Brentford at the end of last season but, after receiving an eight-month ban for breaching Football Association betting rules in the summer, a transfer collapsed.

Despite having not played in the Premier League since May, Toney continues to attract interest from numerous English top-flight clubs. The England international will be eligible to finally make his full return to action on January 16, but his first competitive game back for the Bees won't be until January 30 against Tottenham.

By then, he'll also have just 18 months remaining on his contract in west London. Despite the little time left on his deal at the Gtech Community Stadium and the clear risk that he may no longer be as good as he once was, Brentford have reportedly given him a £100million price tag.

In an interview with Betfred, Johnson believes that the Bees are asking for far too much. The former Chelsea defender said: "It’s probably a case that that’s what they’re hoping for, opposed to what they’ll actually get for Ivan.

"Brentford know that they’re only going to get one chance to sell Ivan Toney and they will want to receive as much as they possibly can for him. I don’t think his price will drop too much because of the ban because it’s not as if Ivan’s been injured for the past six months.

"If it was an injury we were talking about, then Brentford surely couldn’t demand such a fee for Ivan. Once Ivan is match fit, then there will be no problems going forward but I still believe that £80million to £100million is too much for him anyway."

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Then, on whether Toney should join Chelsea or Arsenal, Johnson added: "I believe Chelsea need him more and he would suit the way they play. Chelsea are clearly planning for the future and they’re continuing to build, but Arsenal are competing right now so it all depends on who Ivan believes will be competing for trophies more in the next five years."

While Toney may be on the market for an eye-watering fee, Thomas Frank has already insisted that he wants to keep the striker. Ahead of Brentford's clash against West Ham at the weekend, the Brentford boss said: "He is happy at the club, I want him to stay. Ivan is happy to stay. He's happy at the club. What happens in the future is impossible to guess about."

Frank later added: "Ivan's skillset in terms of finishing, composure in those moments, link-up play, presence, character... He is a very good package. It's not for me to put a price tag on him, it is down to the club. I'm happy with him and I hope he plays here forever."