Brentford boss Thomas Frank believes Ivan Toney will be sold in the summer and admits it “could be fun to see him at a top team”.
Toney last month made his return from an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules, scoring in the 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest.
Read our other football news stories here:
Aston Villa v Chelsea: preview and prediction
Ivory Coast v DR Congo: preview and prediction
Nigeria v South Africa: preview and prediction
Frank hopes he will help keep the Bees in the Premier League – they are just three points above the bottom three – but, with Toney’s contract expiring at the end of next season, expects him to move on in the summer.
“It’s quite obvious that Ivan Toney will most likely be sold in the summer,” Frank told 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.”
The 27-year-old has been linked with Arsenal and Chelsea and Frank insists he won’t be allowed to leave on the cheap.
He added: “We 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.”
Brentford face a tricky period over the coming weeks. They visit in-form Wolves on Saturday before games against Liverpool and Manchester City.
