Ivan Toney states desire to ‘play for top club’ after gambling ban comes to end

Ivan Toney has stated his desire to “play for a top club” and said that could happen this month, comments that represent something of a U-turn after the striker expressed a need to “repay” Brentford for standing by him during his eight-month suspension for breaching gambling regulations.

Toney is free to play for Brentford again after his ban, imposed by the Football Association in May after the 27-year-old accepted 232 breaches of the FA’s rules on betting, expired on Wednesday. He is set to be in the team that faces Nottingham Forest on Saturday and had expressed gratitude to the west London club for backing him during his exile. “Everyone knows Brentford is a family club, they have been nothing but amazing for me,” he told Sky Sports last week. “I can’t thank them enough, especially the fans. They were behind me from the first minute. So it’s kind of like I have a lot to repay.”

However, speaking again to Sky Sports, Toney displayed rather less loyalty to his employers, making clear that he is open to a move away from the Gtech Community Stadium during the current transfer window. The England international has been linked with Arsenal and Chelsea.

“You can never predict when is the right time to move elsewhere,” he said. “It’s obvious I’d like to play for a top club, everybody wants to play for the top clubs, fighting for titles and these kinds of things. So whether it’s this January for a club to come in and pay the right money, who knows? But my main focus is doing what I do on the pitch and let the background work take care of itself.”

Toney’s apparent come-and-get-me plea will no doubt grab the attention of Mikel Arteta and Mauricio Pochettino, both of whom are in need of a striker who can find the back of the net on a regular basis. Toney has certainly shown he can do that having scored 32 goals in 64 Premier League games since joining Brentford in 2020. However, it is possible neither Arsenal or Chelsea will make a move for a player who could cost between £80m and £100m before the deadline given potential spending restrictions associated with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules. Other clubs, in this country and abroad, may well do so instead, however.

“To be the best you have to play with the best and [be] competing against the best,” added Toney, who marked the end of his ban from football with a social media post declaring he was free. “We all know Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the world and he’s been doing it for some years now. If I want to be England’s No 1, then I have to compete against him.”

Toney has been diagnosed as a gambling addict but is confident he has beaten the habit. “Sometimes you just don’t realise what you’re doing in the moment,” he said. “I’ve spoken to people about it and it’s all sorted now, so I’ll focus on doing the right thing. I’ll do none of that rubbish now. It’s all good.”

Meanwhile, Tottenham left-back Sergio Reguilon has joined Brentford on loan until the end of the season. The Bees’ first-choice left-back Rico Henry has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign with a knee injury.

Brentford head coach Frank said: “This is a very good signing for us. We’ve been talking for a while about how we need a good left-back and we managed to get a very good left-back. Sergio is a perfect fit for us: a proven Premier League player in every aspect. He fits what we want. He’s very offensive, has a very good cross and a very good left foot.”

Reguilon spent the first half of the campaign with Manchester United and made 12 appearances, but returned to Spurs this month after Erik ten Hag’s side decided to activate a break clause in the deal.