Soccer Football - Premier League - Brentford v Manchester City - Brentford Community Stadium, London, Britain - February 5, 2024 Brentford's Ivan Toney during the warm up before the match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
LONDON (Reuters) - Striker Ivan Toney is unlikely to remain a Brentford player next season, according to his manager Thomas Frank.
Toney has just returned from an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules and will be vital in the club's battle to stay clear of the Premier League relegation zone.
Speculation has been rife that England international Toney will move to a bigger club at the end of the season.
"It is relatively obvious that Ivan Toney will probably be sold this summer," Frank told Danish sports publication Tipsbladet.
"It can be expensive to sell your best player, but on the other hand, I also know that this summer he only has one year left on his contract with us."
Brentford signed Toney from Peterborough in 2020 and he has been instrumental in the club establishing themselves in the top flight, scoring 20 league goals last season.
Although he has only one England cap to his name, a strong showing between now and the end of the season would probably earn him a call-up for this year's European Championship finals.
"We also know what he's worth. I don't think there are many strikers in the world who are better than him right now," Frank said.
"He's a really good striker who is in his prime of football. Personally, as a coach, I'd rather keep Toney, but one day it would be fun to see him on a top team."
The 27-year-old Toney has scored two goals since returning from his ban last month.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond)
