The truth behind Ivan Toney ‘price slash’ claims as Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United thumb noses

Brentford have apparently finally seen sense and realised that Ivan Toney is simply not an £80m striker, according to reports, leading them to considerably slash down his asking price…only, none of that is actually new information at all.

The centre-forward, who returned from a gambling ban in January, had been the subject of supposed interest from some of the Premier League big boys after an impressive first two seasons in the top flight with Brentford.

Signed from League One Peterborough United in 2020, Toney’s 31 goals in 45 Championship outings helped Thomas Frank’s side climb up to the Premier League in the striker’s first season at the club.

Toney subsequently helped them stay there with a further 32 goals in 66 appearances before his eight-month suspension kicked in in May last year.

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Arsenal were particularly strongly linked with Toney for a long time, with Manchester United and Liverpool also said to be keen, but with an £80m+ price tag slapped on his rear end, no bids were forthcoming.

The Sun now claim that Brentford have dropped their asking price to less than £50m following that lack of interest, no doubt also motivated by the England international only having a year left on his deal.

After making a promising and much-lauded return to action, Toney bagged four goals in his first games back, but has not scored in any of his past 12 outings for Brentford – his longest dry spell in his four years at the club.

However, the updated “Ivan Toney, like new, £50m ONO” claim has been made before: Tottenham Hotspur were reported to have been cited that kind of figure earlier this summer.

So for it to have been pushed out there again in the Sun suggests somebody – be that Brentford or the player’s agent – is keen to get the information out there in more high-profile fashion in a bid to find a…well, a bid.

Brentford boss Frank had previously rebuffed the suggestion that Toney’s asking price might go as low as £30m-£40m, however, saying in April: “Normally I don’t go into these price labels, but I would say that’s very cheap for a 20-goal goalscorer in the Premier League.”

Toney was part of Gareth Southgate’s squad at Euro 2024, making three appearances including a very brief cameo in the final.

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