“It's obvious I want to play for a top club and fight for titles" - Arsenal target Ivan Toney details his transfer plans after completing suspension
Brentford striker Ivan Toney has officially completed his eight-month ban imposed by the FA for breaching gambling rules as a professional footballer in England.
Ahead of his return to competitive football, Toney shed light on his plans going forward in an interview with Sky Sports. Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano shared a small extract from the interview and posted it on his X handle.
The tweet read:
Ivan Toney on his future: “It's obvious I want to play for a top club and fight for titles, yes. If a club was to pay the right money… then, who knows. January or whenever is right time, I’ll be ready. I want to enjoy and play now”, told Sky Sports.
Here is the post:
Ivan Toney has been linked with clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal while Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been adamant about keeping the player at the club.
Speaking to Sky about a potential transfer, Toney said:
"You can never predict when is the right time to move elsewhere, but I think it's obvious I want to play for a top club. Everybody wants to play for a top club, that is fighting for titles. Whether it's this January that is the right time for a club to come in and pay the right money, who knows?"
"But my main focus is to do what I do on the pitch, and let the background work take care of itself," he added.
Toney's first match of the season could come when Brentford host Nottingham Forest on January 20 in the Premier League.
Ivan Toney harboring hopes of representing England in Euro 2024
With Euro 2024 less than six months away, Toney is ready to prove his mettle in top division football and stake a claim in the England squad.
Acknowledging that a world-class striker like Harry Kane leads the line, he said:
"To be the best, you have to play with the best and compete against the best. We all know Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the world and he's been doing it for some years now."
Toney added:
"If I want to be England's No 1, then I have to compete against him. He's not a bad striker to be taking tips off and be training with. I just have to keep scoring goals, keep playing well and then who knows what could happen? If I just fall short, then hopefully I can become the second best in the world."
Ivan Toney finished third in the Golden Boot race in the Premier League last season, behind Erling Haaland and Harry Kane. He netted 20 league goals in 33 games and registered five assists.