According to reports, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur target Ivan Toney will be available for a cut-price fee during this summer’s transfer window.
Toney – who has 70 goals and 21 assists in his 126 appearances for Brentford – made his long-awaited return from his eight-month betting ban last month.
He has hit the ground running for Brentford as he has two goals in his three Premier League appearances.
It was initially expected that Toney would have left Brentford during the winter transfer window after he scored 20 Premier League goals last season.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are among the Premier League sides who are thought to be in the market for a new striker but their transfer plans in January were impacted by their Financial Fair Play issues.
With no Premier League side spending heavily in January, Brentford managed to keep Toney but Danish magazine – Tipsbladet – quoted Thomas Frank saying earlier this week that the striker is likely to leave in the summer.
During his press conference, Frank moved to reassure Brentford fans as “Google Translate is not always the best”.
“You always need to be aware of translation,” Frank told reporters. “Google Translate is not always the best.
“It’s the same message as the whole time, I would love him to stay forever. The reality is he’s got one more year left on his contract in the summer. I think he’s been pretty open about playing for a top club in the future.
“There’s a couple of scenarios; he leaves in the summer, he leaves in the winter, or he stays until the end.
“If he’s leaving – whatever, summer, winter or the summer after – I think it will be fantastic seeing him playing for a top club.”
READ MORE: Man Utd finally acting like adults with £100m Ivan Toney decision; Chelsea and Arsenal next?
A report from Graeme Bailey for HITC claims ‘Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Chelsea all are interested in signing Toney’. He explains.
‘Toney is under contract at Brentford until the summer of 2025, but it is now unlikely that the England international striker will put pen to paper on a new deal.
‘Brentford and Toney had looked at the possibility of extending his deal in January, but the 27-year-old would have insisted on a release clause.
‘It now looks unlikely an extension will be pushed by either side, with the striker set to leave at the end of the season.
‘Sources have told HITC that Brentford wanted £80 million for Toney in the January transfer window. No club was willing to pay that. We understand that the striker’s price in the summer of 2024 will be around £50 to £60 million.’
A report earlier this week from The Mirror claimed Man Utd are no longer in the race to sign Toney as they are ‘wary of entering a bidding war’ with their Premier League rivals.
