Frank admits Arsenal, Chelsea target will ‘most likely be sold’ this summer in ‘fun’ transfer claim

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank has admitted that Arsenal and Chelsea target is “likely” to be sold during the upcoming summer transfer window.

Toney was one of the best strikers in the Premier League last season as he scored 20 goals in his 33 appearances.

The England international missed the first half of this campaign as he was serving a betting ban but he returned to action last month. He has hit the ground running right away as he has scored two goals in his three Premier League outings this term.

It was suggested ahead of January that Toney could leave Brentford before the end of his ban with Arsenal and Chelsea interested in signing him.

But at the start of January, Toney indicated that he was looking to stick with Brentford until the summer as he is keen to “repay” the Premier League outfit.

“Everyone knows Brentford is a family club, they have been nothing but amazing for me. I can’t thank them enough, especially the fans. They were behind me from the first minute as well. So it’s kind of like I have a lot to repay,” Toney told Sky Sports.

He added: “With Brentford, they’re struggling at the moment but I’m sure when I’m back I will play a big part to get them out of the losing form they’ve been in. I can’t wait to get back and be helping my team-mates.”

MAILBOX: Better to be small-time like Arsenal than Man Utd asking for taxpayers’ money

Arsenal and Chelsea were impacted by their Financial Fair Play issues in January as they did not make any signings in January but they are expected to pursue a new striker in the summer.

And in a boost to Arsenal and Chelsea, Brentford head coach Frank has admitted that Toney – who is out of contract in 2025 – is likely to leave the club later this year.

“It’s quite obvious that Ivan Toney will most likely be sold in the summer,” Frank said in an interview with Danish magazine Tipsbladet.

“It can be expensive to sell your best player, but on the other hand, I also know that by the summer, he’ll only have a year left on his contract with us.

“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.

“He’s a really good striker who is in his prime footballing age. Personally, as a coach, I would prefer to keep Toney, but one day it could be fun to see him at a top team.

“This winter, we actually had no bids for him, but it would surprise me if there aren’t a lot of clubs interested in him.”