'A lot of things are going on' - Ivan Toney left out of Brentford's squad for Premier League opener vs Crystal Palace due to 'transfer interest' as Thomas Frank delivers honest update on Saudi Arabia-linked striker

Toney's future at Brentford has been the subject of speculation for some time, with the England striker reportedly having been offered a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia. Frank has now hinted that Toney could be on the move before the transfer window closes at the end of the month after explaining why he left his star striker out of his squad to face Crystal Palace in their Premier League opener.

Frank told Sky Sports: "A lot of things are going on with Ivan, especially with transfers – there’s a lot of transfer interest. Because of all that, we’ve decided not to include him in the squad. I can’t give too much away the day before. Of course Ivan is a top player, we all know that. He has been fantastic for us for four years, but we showed last season we can cope without him.”

The Brentford boss was then asked if Toney had already played his last game for the club and responded: "Who knows? There is interest, it’s not close.”

Frank has previously been bullish about keeping hold of Toney but his shift in stance suggests a transfer could be on the cards. Toney has just one year left on his contract at Brentford and has reportedly been offered a lucrative deal by Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli. If he does opt to move on then his departure would surely be a blow to Brentford. Toney has scored 67 league goals in 128 games for Brentford since joining in 2020.

Brentford are due to play Liverpool and Southampton in the Premier League and Colchester in the EFL Cup before the transfer window closes. It remains to be seen if Toney will return for any of those games of if he will instead seal a transfer away from the Bees.