Ivan Toney has been left out of Brentford’s squad for their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace amid interest from Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli.
Nothing has been agreed with Al Ahli but the striker will not feature on Sunday despite being fully fit, with Thomas Frank confirming this was due to transfer interest.
The 28-year-old has one year left on his Brentford contract, having not signed new terms with the club since agreeing a five-year deal when he joined from Peterborough United in 2020, and his future has been the source of persistent speculation.
The Athletic reported in the DealSheet that rather than allow him to leave on a free transfer in 11 months, Brentford would prefer to sell Toney this summer for what they regard as fair market value.
“A lot of things going on with Ivan, there is some transfer interest,” Frank told Sky Sports. “Because of that he is not in the squad.
“Ivan is a top player we all know that. He has been a fantastic player for us for four years but we showed last year we could cope without him.”
Toney had trained all week and had been expected to be involved against Palace after Frank confirmed his availability during Friday’s pre-match press conference.
“The fresh news is he trained out there with a fresh smile on his face, good attitude and he is available for Sunday,” Frank said on Friday. “This transfer window there has been so much talk about him. Let’s see.“
He continued: ”Very much (happy he is still here), as long as I have Ivan I am very happy and hopefully that is for another year. We have had four great years together and hopefully that will continue for another year. With everything in life let’s enjoy the moment and look one day ahead.“
In January Toney reiterated his desire to move to a “top club”.
“It’s nice to be linked with other clubs but I’ve had disappointment in the past and nothing’s done until it’s done,” he told TalkSport. “I’m still a Brentford player and I’ve still got to focus on that and doing well for Brentford in the upcoming season. That’s the main thing.
“Obviously, if it was to come I’d be ready regardless but I’ve got to remain focused and not let other things and the noise get the best of me, focus on what I need to be doing with my club.”
Toney scored four goals in 17 Premier League appearances in 2023-24. He returned from a eight-month ban for breaching the Football Association’s betting rules in January and scored four goals in 17 appearances.
It was confirmed in July Brentford’s record signing, fellow striker Igor Thiago, had been ruled out until “late 2024” due to a knee injury.
(Warren Little/Getty Images)
