Brentford ‘ready to let wantaway striker Ivan Toney leave in £60m transfer’ as London rivals circle
IVAN TONEY has held Brentford exit talks with boss Thomas Frank, according to reports.
The banned striker returned to training this week after reaching the halfway point of his eight-month ban for FA betting breaches.
Toney, 27, remains banned from playing until January 16 and may have appeared in his last game for Brentford.
According to the Mirror, the England international has discussed his future with Frank – outlining his desire for a new challenge.
The Bees will not stand in Toney’s way, provided their £60million valuation is met.
Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal are believed to be interested in signing the forward.
Come January, Toney will have 18 months remaining on his Brentford contract.
In preparation for a potential move, Toney signed with agency CAA Base over the summer.
Announcing the move, he said: “It feels like a fresh beginning. Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.”
Frank, 49, recently admitted during an appearance on Monday Night Football that Brentford are a “selling club”.
Quizzed about the prospect of Toney leaving, he said: “So far we’ve only sold one in the Premier League, that was David Raya – or that’s a loan but probably will be a sale in the future, I guess.
“I think every club in the world are a selling club except five or six clubs. We are a selling club, if the right price is there.
“I think if it’s the right time for the player to go, from my perspective that’s not my decision that would be Phil [Giles, director of football] or Matthew [Benham, Brentford’s owner] in the end.
“Then I think if they have developed well with us, been on the journey, and now they’re proven good enough to go to the top clubs, then I think it’s the right thing, if it’s the right price.”
Toney scored 20 goals in 33 Prem appearances last season prior to being banned.
On his star man’s skills, Frank added: “I understand why there are a lot of rumours out there about him.
“For me he’s one of the best strikers, as a striker No9, I don’t see many out there who is better in the world than him, of course you have [Harry] Kane, [Robert] Lewandowski, [Erling] Haaland and these types, but not many.
“He scored 20 goals in the Premier League last year, in, of course, a very good Brentford side but of course we are not creating as many chances as the top six or seven teams.
“So imagine him in a top team, he’d easily score 20, 25 goals, for me. I think he’s composed, he’s a good finisher, top mentality, so I understand why clubs are looking at him.”