Ivan Toney moving to the Saudi Pro League would be a “waste” while the striker is in his prime, Chris Sutton believes.
Saudi side Al-Ahli have reportedly agreed personal terms with the Brentford forward after he was left out of their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace at the weekend.
The Bees are said to have rejected a £35million bid for their prized asset as they hold out for £50m.
But former Premier League striker Sutton believes the 29-year-old should stay in England during his best years.
“At this stage of his career, I think Saudi is a no-no,” Sutton told the BBC’s Monday Night Club on 5 Live.
“He has proven himself in the Premier League and he has all the attributes. His link up, his physicality, set-piece [ability] and his all-round play have developed really well.
“You can have all the money in the world but this is Ivan Toney at his peak and I would like to see him stay in the Premier League. I would go to Saudi Arabia when I was 35 and past it.
“This is such a waste for Ivan Toney,” Sutton added.
“That doesn’t mean he can’t go to Saudi and then come back to the Premier League, but why doesn’t he just wait another season and then get a move? He’s 28, his career was flourishing then he had the ban, but then he had the high of the Euros at the summer.
“He is in a really good place at the moment. From Brentford’s point of view, at £50m, you can understand why they would sell him for that amount with a year left on his contract.
“Purely from a footballing perspective, that would be such a waste of him going to Saudi. Manchester United are striker-less at this moment in time, he would be a good fit there.”
