Al Ahli Saudi Target Ivan Toney Left Out of Match Against Crystal Palace Due to Transfer Interest
Brentford manager Thomas Frank admitted that he left Ivan Toney out of the matchday squad over the weekend due to transfer interest. The England striker who has been a target for Al Ahli, is expected to leave the English Premier League club this summer with the club preparing for a life without him.
Al Ahli Saudi, who have former English Premier League stars such as Roberto Firminho, Edouard Mendy and Riyad Mahrez, are looking to add Ivan Toney to their ranks. While they’ve made an offer, reports indicate that neither Toney nor Brentford have accepted anything, but all parties remain open to talking to reach a solution.
Ivan Toney, 28, has not had a full pre-season due to being on national duty with England at EURO 2024. However, the forward was used as a sub and only played for 42 minutes total during the tournament.
Consequently, even without a proper pre-season, he would have made the matchday squad, but Brentford manager Thomas Frank talked to the press about the decision, saying, “There’s a lot of things going on with Ivan; there’s some transfer interest. Because of all that, we decided not to involve him in the squad”.
Toney is heading into the final year of his contract and is considered Brentford’s most valuable asset. Consequently, the club is open to selling him this summer to avoid losing him on a free transfer next summer. With domestic suitors like Chelsea and Arsenal moving on to other targets, Al Ahli are in a prime position to acquire Toney’s services should the two clubs reach an agreement.
