Ivan Toney and Brentford: an unsatisfying end to an incredible story (2024)

Exactly four years after Ivan Toney joined Brentford from Peterborough United for an initial £5million, he took the next step in his career. On Friday, the 28-year-old striker moved to Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli for €40m (£33.6m).

This was always the plan — at least from Brentford’s perspective. The London club’s business model revolves around developing young players before selling them on at a significant profit. When the dust settles, that mark-up, not to mention the 72 goals Toney scored in 141 appearances, will leave them feeling satisfied.

While Toney had always made clear his ambitions of one day playing for a ‘top club’ fighting for trophies clear, unlike other players to have left Brentford for big money in recent years — like David Raya and Ollie Watkins — he has not joined a team competing towards the top of the Premier League. His move feels anticlimactic — after all, it was only 12 months ago that he was being talked about as a £100m striker.

Brentford’s head coach Thomas Frank described him as a club “legend” and he is undoubtedly one of the most important players in their history. He scored the goals that took them into the Premier League, and then did more than most to help keep them there.

Toney broke the Championship goalscoring record and then found the back of the net 12 times in the 2021-22 campaign to help Brentford avoid relegation from the top flight. He followed that up with 20 goals in 33 games as they secured a ninth-place finish in 2022-23. He was also the architect of Manchester City’s last defeat at the Etihad.

TONEEEYYYYYYY!!!!

Brentford expose Man City on the counter attack as Ivan Toney bags a brace to nick a 2-1 lead with 2 minutes left on the clock!! 🤩#EPL pic.twitter.com/TS4ChhC6J9

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 12, 2022

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The forward’s unorthodox penalty routine helped make him one of the Premier League’s great entertainers over the last few seasons. The short run-up and no-look finish is more than just a gimmick. He had an exceptional record and only missed once out of 23 attempts for Brentford.

There were other moments of genius like the back heel he scored against Brighton & Hove Albion which nutmegged Adam Webster. The hat-trick against Leeds United when he embarrassed Illan Meslier by running around him before chipping the ball into the net.

Who can forget the controversial free kick on his return from an eight-month ban for betting offences in a 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest? Or the elegant control and cross under pressure to set up Kristoffer Ajer’s stoppage-time equaliser against Manchester United in March.

“Back with a BANG!” 💥

Ivan Toney scores on his return! 🔙 pic.twitter.com/QmarvV2OvK

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 20, 2024

When Brentford beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 at the beginning of their first season back in the top flight, one of Toney’s team-mates was overheard comparing him to Didier Drogba and it did not feel over the top. When Toney was in the right mood, he was box office. He was routinely mocked by rival supporters probably because he was exactly the type of player they secretly would have loved to have at their own club.

It is why his move to the Saudi Pro League leaves a bitter taste. Toney will spend the peak years of his career away from the spotlight. He has never played in the Champions League or Europa League. He scored so many goals for Brentford it would have been fun to see him strut his stuff at one of the Premier League’s traditional powerhouses.

A market did not materialise for him this summer despite previous interest from Chelsea and Arsenal. He is a traditional centre-forward who thrives in the six-yard box and in aerial duels compared to modern attackers who possess a more rounded skill set. It is still a surprise that Al Ahli were the only team prepared to put forward a serious offer. He is Brentford’s club-record sale but they will have wanted a lot more than €40m. A proven goalscorer at a cut-price fee, because he had less than a year on his contract, should have been an attractive option to a lot of teams.

The salary Al Ahli have offered Toney is an important factor. He has spent the bulk of his career playing in the lower divisions of English football. He never signed a new contract on improved terms at Brentford compared to other senior players, including Christian Norgaard, Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Vitaly Janelt. A few years in the Middle East should set his family up for life comfortably.

It felt like Toney’s England career had only just taken off and now his chances of playing a significant role with the national team have surely diminished. He became the first Brentford player to represent England since Leslie Smith in 1939. When they were seconds away from being eliminated by Slovakia in this summer’s European Championship, Toney’s presence in the box helped Jude Bellingham equalise with a stunning overhead kick. He set up Harry Kane’s winner and then scored in the penalty shootout victory over Switzerland in the quarter-finals.

Kane is 31 and Toney could have positioned himself as a potential successor. Jordan Henderson was still called up by Gareth Southgate after he moved to Al Ettifaq, but he was a more established member of the squad. It does not feel right that Toney’s England career might be over after just six caps.

The last time the forward was at his best was over a year ago before the suspension. Brentford’s supporters were promised “Toney 2.0” ahead of his comeback. He finished with four goals in 17 appearances last season as a hip injury impacted his mobility. The constant circus around his future damaged his relationship with the fans and Frank clearly grew tired of the endless questioning. He should have had a triumphant send-off in west London in May but instead there will be a sense of relief that the drama is over. Toney has been the headline act at Brentford since the moment he arrived and now others can emerge from the shadows.

People have not forgotten the infamous video of him saying “f*ck Brentford” while on holiday in Dubai in early 2022. You can believe that he was harshly treated by the Football Association over his gambling activity — he was not even allowed to train with his team-mates for four months — but he did lie during the investigation when initially questioned. Ahead of and after returning from that ban, he spoke about leaving Brentford in multiple interviews and joked about a dream move to Real Madrid. It was distasteful after the support they had shown him.

If you ask any of the players and staff at Brentford they will tell you he is a good character at the training ground. Vice-captain since last summer because of his leadership, he pushed standards in training but frequently cracked jokes. Keane Lewis-Potter told The Athletic in April that Toney took him under his wing when he first moved to west London in July 2022. Frank has praised his “emotional intelligence” and the way he interacts with people on multiple occasions. He watched Brentford’s 3-1 victory over Southampton on Saturday from the stands and went into the dressing room afterwards to say an emotional goodbye to the players and staff. This part of his personality does not always come across publicly.

When Toney reflects on his career he will undoubtedly look upon that eight-month ban for breaching the FA’s betting rules as a watershed moment. Had he not ended up in that mess, he surely would have left Brentford in the summer of 2023 following a fantastic individual season.

However, instead of being the missing piece in Arsenal’s hunt for the title or part of a resurgent Manchester United, he finds himself cut adrift from English football. It is a shame for all involved that the chapter ended like this.

(Top photo: Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Jay Harris reports on Tottenham Hotspur for The Athletic. He worked for Sky Sports News for four years before he joined The Athletic in 2021 and spent three seasons covering Brentford. He covered the 2022 World Cup from Qatar and the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. Follow Jay on Twitter @jaydmharris