Recently reinstated Brentford FC striker Ivan Toney has just made some bold statements about where he might be playing football, and when. Having previously only given industry standard platitudes and meaningless cliches when discussing his club future, Toney has now opened up.
“It’s obvious I want to play for a top club and fight for titles, yes,” the English international said in an eye-opening interview with Sky Sports (link below).
??”I feel like a free man”
Ivan Toney is ready to make his return for Brentford after his eight month suspension for gambling was lifted?pic.twitter.com/5C0C33A1GX
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 17, 2024
“If a club was to pay the right money…then, who knows. January or whenever is right time, I’ll be ready.”
Toney, who just had his eight month suspension for gambling related offenses lifted, is on the radar of several clubs, including Chelsea and Arsenal. The two London big six clubs have been more strongly linked to the English international than any other potential suitor. Which is fitting because both sides are struggling to score goals right now. Why is that the case? Well, neither club really has a true, consistently healthy, often productive No. 9 on the roster right now.
Ivan Toney can fill that void, and while many believe that he won’t make the switch until the summer transfer window, he made it known that he’s ready to move before the January 31 deadline, if the opportunity arises.
“I want to enjoy and play now,” Ivan Toney continued.
As you can see from the tweet video embedded above, he also expressed his current feeling of liberation during the Sky Sports session.
“I feel like a free man,” the forward with attacking flair and a penchant for scoring added.
“A massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can’t wait to get back enjoying and playing football this Saturday so it’ll be good. Things happen in life, you take it on the chin and you move forward with it.
“I should have been playing and helping the team perform well. But there’s obviously still good players in the team that also have a role to do and step in when needed. I do feel kind of bad but it is what it is, I can’t dwell on it too much, I can’t change it so what’s done is done.’
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.