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Brentford will demand between £50m and £60m to sell Ivan Toney after leaving him out of their Premier League opener due to transfer interest.
The 28-year-old England striker has been linked with several Premier League clubs this summer, including Manchester United and London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.
Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli have shown the most interest in Toney so far and saw their opening £35m bid rejected by Brentford, according to BBC Sport.
The Bees valued Toney at around £70m at the start of the summer but are prepared to drop that price due to a lack of significant interest and the player’s desire to leave.
If they fail to sell Toney before the summer transfer window shuts at the end of the month, Brentford run the risk of losing him for free in 12 months time.
There appears to be a willingness from all sides to get a deal done but Brentford are determined to get a fair price and want at least £50m for a striker who scored 20 goals in his last full Premier League season, according to The Times.
Asked if it was only a matter of time before Toney leaves Brentford, manager Thomas Frank said on Sunday: ‘Yes, I guess that is fair.
‘I think Ivan is a top player. He has been a top player and one of our best players if not the best player over a long spell.
‘All the top players in the Premier League, one day they will leave the club and someone will have to step up and do well.’
Toney’s rise at Brentford was interrupted by an eight-month ban for betting offences but the forward was still taken to Euro 2024 by England boss Gareth Southgate.
He barely featured for the Three Lions, playing back-up to England captain Harry Kane, but made a crucial assist in the knockout stages before scoring in the penalty shootout against Switzerland.
Reacting to Toney’s omission from Brentford’s Premier League win over Crystal Palace and the speculation linking him with a move to Saudi, ex-England defender Gary Neville told Sky Sports: ‘I would love to see him stay in the Premier League.
‘But we’re hearing that maybe he is going to Saudi Arabia, which would be a shame.
‘Obviously, in the Premier League, we have enjoyed watching him in the last few years, but he probably feels that he needs to exploit this contract more than any other before.
‘He has obviously not had the career that a lot of players have had of his age, playing for England, earning big money.
‘He feels like he has got to go and earn the money that he possibly can, so he may do that.
‘I would love to see him stay in the Premier League. He could be a great asset for another club.’
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