August 18th 2024.
Brentford's Premier League opener against Crystal Palace was met with some surprise as star striker Ivan Toney was nowhere to be seen in the squad. Manager Thomas Frank was quick to address the situation, revealing that Toney's absence was due to transfer-related matters. The 28-year-old has been heavily linked to a potential move to the Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, and with just 12 months left on his contract, it seems like a deal could be in the works.
Toney himself has not been shy about his desires to play for a "top club" in the future, and with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United all reportedly interested, it's no surprise that Brentford have slapped a hefty price tag of £60 million on the striker. While this may have put off other Premier League teams, it seems that Al-Ahli have no problem meeting the valuation and are even willing to offer Toney a salary of over £17 million.
As the starting lineups were announced for the match, it was clear that Toney's exclusion had raised some eyebrows. Frank was pressed for an explanation in his pre-match interview with Sky Sports and he revealed, "There's a lot of things going on with Iva, especially with transfers. There's a lot of interest and because of that, we decided he would not be in the squad."
For Brentford, it is undoubtedly a blow to be without Toney for their season opener, but Frank remains confident that the team can cope without the England striker. He pointed to last season, when Toney was absent for the first half due to an eight-month ban for breaching the FA's betting rules. The team managed to survive without him then and Frank believes they can do it again.
When asked if this could potentially be the end of Toney's time at Brentford, Frank replied, "Who knows. There is interest, but it is not close." It's clear that the manager is still holding out hope that Toney will stay with the club, but only time will tell if that will be the case.
Toney's absence is certainly a setback for Brentford, especially after he played a key role in their promotion to the Premier League last season. Despite a less-than-stellar return of four goals in 17 appearances, he was still selected by Gareth Southgate for England's Euro 2024 campaign and even made a significant impact coming off the bench against Germany.
For now, it seems that Toney's future with Brentford is uncertain, but one thing is for sure - the team will have to make do without him for the time being.
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