Brentford head coach Thomas Frank has dismissed speculation that Brentford are willing to entertain offers of around £30m for Arsenal and Chelsea-linked Ivan Toney.
The Bees' highest-ever transfer fee received was £33m from Aston Villa for Ollie Watkins, who recently scored two goals against them in a captivating 3-3 draw.
Additionally, David Raya looks set to make a permanent move to Arsenal for a total fee of £27m this summer, following an initial loan arrangement where the Gunners paid £3m upfront.
It is anticipated that Toney will depart Brentford this summer, given that his contract expires in 2025. Frank has also openly acknowledged that the club would entertain offers for the striker, provided they meet the desired valuation.
Frank dismisses speculation of cut-price sale for Toney
According to The Standard, Arsenal and Chelsea, along with other clubs across Europe, have shown interest in securing the signature of the England star, who recent reports suggested could be attainable for a mere £30m.
However, the London-based clubs have now been dealt a blow in their pursuit of the 28-year-old attacker, with Frank asserting that selling Toney for a reduced fee of £30-£40m would be bad business for Brentford.
"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," he said at a press conference on Friday before confirming that Toney would be fit to start Saturday's match against Sheffield United.
The 28-year-old missed last weekend's 3-3 draw against Aston Villa due to a hip injury.
Toney made his comeback from an eight-month suspension for violating betting regulations in January and has since netted four goals in 13 Premier League matches.
Additionally, he notched his debut goal for England in their 2-2 draw against Belgium during the March international break, putting himself in the mix for a key role at the upcoming European Championship.
The England international arrived at Brentford from Peterborough back in 2020 for an initial fee of just £5m and scored 33 goals for the club in the same season in the Championship.
Brentford find themselves only four points clear of the relegation zone and have gone without a win in their last nine matches.
Therefore, Saturday's home fixture against 20th-placed Sheffield United presents a significant opportunity to secure a much-needed victory to give themselves some breathing room entering the final stretch of the 2023-24 Premier League season. body check tags ::
