Brentford manager Thomas Frank insists Ivan Toney is happy where he is and would be ready to stay at the club past the January transfer window.
WHAT HAPPENED? As a result of breaking the Football Association's betting regulations, Toney is presently serving the final two months of an eight-month suspension. He will have 18 months remaining on his Brentford contract when the ban expires in January, and there are rumours that top Premier League sides, including Chelsea and Arsenal, are interested in signing him. Frank has revealed that he wants the 27-year-old to stay at the club and that the striker is happy to stay with the Bees.
WHAT THEY SAID: «He is happy at the club,» Frank told reporters. «I want him to stay. Ivan is happy to stay. He's happy at the club. What happens in the future is impossible to guess about.»
When asked why he wanted the striker to stay at the club, Frank added: «Ivan's skillset in terms of finishing, composure in those moments, link-up play, presence, character… He is a very good package. It's not for me to put a price tag on him, it is down to the club. I'm happy with him and I hope he plays here forever.»
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Toney scored 20 goals in 33 Premier League games during the 2022–2023 season, earning him his first England cap in March. Although Frank is not yet ready to disclose the striker's fee, it had been rumoured that the purchasing club would have to pay £100 million to sign the player in January.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
WHAT NEXT? Brentford will next be in action when they take on West Ham on Saturday, November 4.
Read on goal.com