Brentford boss Thomas Frank says Ivan Toney will lead the line in Sunday’s Premier League opener, and hopes he will stay with the Bees all season.
The 28-year-old England forward is keen on testing himself at a higher level but amid rumours of interest from Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal, the Bees are believed to have put a £60m asking price on his head, just a year before the end of his contract.
💬”Ivan Toney trained with a big smile on his face today. He looked sharp and will be available for Sunday”
Thomas on Ivan pic.twitter.com/JBuQcqwr5t
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) August 16, 2024
With the transfer window set to shut on August 30, speaking at a press conference before Sunday’s visit of Crystal Palace, the German admitted: “This transfer window, there has been so much talk about Ivan.
“I think everyone will be a bit disappointed that he is still here after the first of September, because you can’t ask that question again.
“There’s a January transfer window, but let’s see. The thing we can focus on is that he trained well and he is available for Sunday.”
Toney is set to start against Palace in place of summer arrival Igor Thiago, who picked up a knee injury during Brentford’s pre-season friendly against Wimbledon.
Frank said: “He trained with a fresh smile, looked sharp, good attitude.
“As long as I have Ivan I am very happy and that’s hopefully for another year because he’s a fantastic player. We’ve had four great years together and we’re hoping for another year.
“We know there’s speculation and back and forths but let’s just enjoy the moment and let’s look one day ahead and see what happens.”
Frank said Toney’s focus was his ‘biggest strength’ and added: “He’s good at blocking it out. He’s a positive character who enjoys football so it’s quite easy for him to want to play.”
