Brentford agree £35m bid for Ivan Toney as striker is prepared to secure deal on deadline day

The England international is poised to become the most recent prominent athlete to relocate to Saudi Arabia…

Ivan Toney, a Brentford striker, is reportedly set to reject offers from Chelsea and Manchester United in order to secure a lucrative transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli.

L’Equipe reports that the Bees have accepted a £35 million bid from the Pro League outfit on the day of the transfer deadline. Nevertheless, the Saudi window does not close until September 2, which means that the deal does not have to be finalised today.

The target man had been strongly associated with a move to Manchester United and Chelsea; however, it now appears that his tenure in the Premier League is drawing to a close.

One of the highest-paid English players in football is anticipated to be Toney, who is 28 years old. He is expected to sign a contract worth £400,000 per week, which includes bonuses. On Friday evening, he will undergo a medical examination in London prior to departing for Jeddah.

Brentford had initially requested £80 million for the striker, despite the fact that he had been banned for eight months by the Football Association for violating betting regulations. However, the west London organisation has been compelled to liquidate his assets as his contract is set to expire in June 2025.

Chelsea and United had both engaged in negotiations with their respective top-tier counterparts regarding a potential transaction; however, it appears that Al-Ahli’s financial resources have rendered them obsolete.

Thomas Frank, the head coach of Brentford, has confirmed that Toney will not be included in the squad for the upcoming match against Southampton on Saturday. Toney has already been absent for the first two matches of the season.

Frank, the Bees’ manager, stated on Thursday that Ivan will not be playing on Saturday. “I am exceedingly pleased to discuss the players who competed against Colchester last night or those who will do so tomorrow.”

“Ivan is in good spirits and is training well. I am more than willing to provide additional information about him during our next meeting.”

Should Toney’s relocation to the Arabian Gulf proceed without incident, he will depart Brentford after four prosperous years at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Frank led the team to promotion to the Premier League, and he scored 31 goals in the Championship. In 83 Premier League appearances, he scored 36 goals, including 20 goals in the 2022-23 campaign.

Toney has also earned six caps for England during his tenure in west London and served as a substitute in the Euro 2024 final loss to Spain. However, he was left out of Lee Carsley’s first squad for their upcoming games against the Republic of Ireland and Finland next month.