Al-Ahli's sporting director Rui Pedro Baz has set out his club's position on Ivan Toney
Ivan Toney celebrates winning the Saudi Super Cup with Al-Ahli. (Photo by Clicks Images/Getty Images)
Ivan Toney celebrates winning the Saudi Super Cup with Al-Ahli. (Photo by Clicks Images/Getty Images)
View Image
Al-Ahli have insisted Ivan Toney is NOT for sale.
The forward has been linked to a host of Premier League outfits in the build-up to the January transfer window. They include Everton, with one of David Moyes’ biggest issues of the season the lack of ruthlessness from his frontline strikers Beto and Thierno Barry.
But club chiefs in Saudi Arabia appear determined to dismiss any suggestion they would be willing to sanction the sale of Toney.
The 29-year-old moved to Al-Ahli 18 months ago, leaving Brentford for the Saudi Pro League. Since moving to the Jeddah-based side, Toney has enjoyed a sensational run of form.
His 23 goals last season saw him trail only Cristiano Ronaldo in the league scoring charts. And while that only led to a fifth placed finish in the domestic campaign he did help fire Al-Ahli to an Asian Champions League. Another trophy - the Saudi Super Cup - followed and Toney already has five goals from the opening seven games of this campaign.
Putting aside whether Toney would be open to a return to England at this stage in his career - a move that could improve his international prospects ahead of the World Cup next summer - his goalscoring prowess has made him indispensable to a club searching for silverware.
And the message from Al-Ahli was made clear this weekend as Rui Pedro Baz attempted to pour water on speculation that has also linked him to Tottenham Hotspur, led by Toney’s former manager Thomas Frank, and Leeds United amongst others.
In quotes reported by Goal, sporting director Baz said: "Ivan Toney is a top player, a top striker. The rumours around his possible exit in January are not based on reality. It’s just not true. We’re counting on him, it makes zero sense to address this subject in November."
Everton are open to business in the January window, but only if they believe the right opportunities come along. A good start to the season has been undermined by the struggle for Beto and Barry to provide a clinical edge - with both missing key chances in games Everton failed to win. For now, Moyes is keen to back the pair and was impressed by Barry’s final display before the latest international break.
The 23-year-old summer signing led the line with conviction in the 2-0 win over Fulham in what it is hoped will prove to have been a breakthrough performance in Royal Blue for the France youth international.
Content Image
Content Image