Thomas Frank has addressed Ivan Toney’s future after the forward was excluded from Brentford’s squad for their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace.
Toney, who has drawn interest from Arsenal, Chelsea, and other top clubs, was not selected due to ongoing “transfer interest,” according to Frank.
The 28-year-old striker, who returned last season following an eight-month betting ban, managed only four goals in 17 Premier League appearances. With just a year left on his contract, Toney’s future at Brentford remains in doubt, particularly after recent interest from Saudi Arabia.
Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham, and Arsenal are reportedly among the clubs considering a move for Toney, and due to the uncertainty, Frank opted not to include him in the squad for Sunday’s match at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Frank explained, “There’s a lot going on with Ivan, and there’s some transfer interest. Because of that, we decided not to involve him.”
When asked if Toney’s absence signals the end of his time at Brentford, Frank responded, “Who knows? There’s interest, but nothing is close.”
Despite the uncertainty, Toney did feature as a substitute in Brentford’s final pre-season friendly against Wolfsburg.
However, he has been left out of the lineup against Crystal Palace. Frank instead opted for Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo, and Kevin Schade in the attacking trio, while new signing Fabio Carvalho, who joined from Liverpool for £27.5 million, was named on the bench.
