Brentford striker Ivan Toney is on the verge of completing a £40m move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli. The deal, which has been accepted by Brentford, is expected to go through according to sources close to Toney. The 28-year-old forward has not featured for Brentford this season and has been ruled out of their upcoming game against Southampton by manager Thomas Frank. This transfer comes after Brentford rejected a £35m bid from Al-Ahli earlier in the season. Toney has also been linked with a move to Chelsea in recent weeks.
The Saudi transfer window does not close until September 2nd, giving Toney ample time to complete his move. If the transfer goes through, Toney will join the ranks of high-profile players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Neymar who have made the move to Saudi Arabia. It’s worth noting that fellow England international Jordan Henderson joined Al-Ettifaq from Liverpool in July 2023 but left for Dutch club Ajax after just six months.
Toney’s potential move to Al-Ahli comes on the heels of his involvement with the England national team at Euro 2024. Although he made three appearances in the tournament, including the final against Spain, Toney was primarily used as a late substitute when England needed to chase the game. He did, however, score a penalty in the shootout victory over Switzerland, showcasing his composure under pressure.
Despite his recent international experience, Toney was not included in interim England manager Lee Carsley’s squad for the upcoming Nations League games in September. The striker currently has six caps and one goal for the national team.
On the club front, Toney had a successful 2022-23 Premier League season, scoring 20 goals. He also found the net four times in his first five matches last season after returning from an eight-month suspension for breaching FA betting rules. Since joining Brentford from Peterborough in 2020, Toney has scored an impressive 72 goals in 141 games. In the Premier League, he has recorded 36 goals and 11 assists in 85 appearances. Toney’s penalty-taking abilities are also noteworthy, as he has successfully converted 30 of the 32 penalties he has taken throughout his career.
Toney’s journey with Brentford has been eventful, with several milestones along the way. He signed for the club in August 2020 on a five-year contract from Peterborough United. In May 2021, Toney scored in Brentford’s 2-0 victory over Swansea at Wembley, securing their promotion to the Premier League. He made his England debut in March 2023, scoring in a Euro 2024 qualifying win against Ukraine. However, his career took a turn in May 2023 when he was banned from football for eight months due to a breach of FA betting rules. Toney made a successful return from the ban in January 2024, scoring in a 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest. He also found the back of the net for England in a friendly draw against Belgium in March 2024.
As Toney’s transfer speculation intensifies, he has been left out of the Brentford squad and was not named in the England squad for the upcoming Nations League games. It remains to be seen how his potential move to Al-Ahli will unfold and whether he will be able to make a significant impact in the Saudi Pro League.