Thomas Frank has said he is ‘not interested’ in selling ‘world-class’ Ivan Toney amid transfer interest in the Brentford forward.
Toney has been linked with a number of Premier League rivals after impressing since Brentford’s promotion to the Premier League, with the forward having broken into the England squad after scoring 32 goals in 66 top-flight appearances.
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Arsenal have been credited with interest in signing the 27-year-old – who is currently suspended until January for breaching the FA’s gambling rules – while both Chelsea and Spurs have also been linked with the striker.
Speaking ahead of Brentford’s Carabao Cup clash against Arsenal on Wednesday evening, Frank said he has no intention of selling Toney, but admitted the decision is out of his hands as the striker approaches the final 18 months of his deal in west London.
“In January? I don’t know. The only thing I am focusing on is the game tomorrow. We are preparing and trying to win those ahead and we are looking at not only strikers. Let’s see,” Frank said at his pre-match press conference.
“For me as a coach, I don’t want to sell him. Don’t sell him. Ivan is a world-class player so why would you sell a world-class player? But it is not up to me to decide.
“I think one of the most difficult things in football is to score goals. For a team or for a player, and there are not many who go past 20 goals in the Premier League. He is a top player so I understand why there is interest but I would like to keep him.
“Ivan is here now so I am only focused on making him better and ready for us in January.”
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