Brentford pull out the re-signing card to keep hold of Ivan Toney, 27, who has attracted interest from Chelsea and Arsenal, who are in need of a striker. Brentford are confident that Toni will not leave and will re-sign with them.
British outlet TalkSPORT reported on Sunday (July 17) that “Brentford are confident their star striker will sign a new contract. Toni’s contract expires in the summer of 2025, and he has attracted interest from Arsenal and Chelsea. Brentford are adamant they will not sell him in January.”
With so many Premier League teams struggling for a frontline striker, all eyes are on Toni. Last season, Toni scored 20 goals in the Premier League, emerging as one of the league’s top strikers. He spearheaded Brentford’s attack with his precise finishing and excellent delivery in the box. Before the season was over, big clubs began to monitor his situation.
However, in May, Tony was banned for eight months by the English Football Association (FA) after being found guilty of ‘illegal betting’. After some time away from the turf, he returned to training with the team in September and will be able to play in front of fans from mid-January next year. The interest from big clubs remained steady during his time on the sidelines. So, it’s unclear if Tony will make his comeback in front of Brentford fans.
What’s more, Tony has said in the past on the Diary of a CEO podcast, “I’ve been a Liverpool fan all my life, but I’ve been linked to Arsenal. I love watching Arsenal play. I love the way they play and I love how passionate their fans are.”
Brentford’s position is solid. They are not prepared to accept a transfer unless they spend more than £80 million on Tony’s transfer fee. They have started contract talks to keep him for a long time and are continuing to talk. Tony, who is keen to play for a big club, has demanded a buyout clause be inserted into his contract.
Brentford are unlikely to give in to his demands. If he has a buyout clause, they could lose him at any time. Furthermore, the winter transfer window is harder to find proven strikers than the summer transfer window, so it’s likely that Brentford will hold onto him at all costs.