Brentford prepare for Ivan Toney exit with club-record signing

Brentford have announced the club-record signing of striker Igor Thiago from Club Brugge, paving the way for Ivan Toney to leave the club in the summer.

Toney, who has struck three times in four Premier League appearances since returning from his gambling ban, has long been linked with a move away from Brentford and has attracted interest from a number of elite Premier League sides.

Both Arsenal and Chelsea are long-term admirers of Toney, while Manchester United have recently been touted as potential suitors for the 27-year-old, who will enter the final 12 months of his contract in the summer.

As a clear sign of Toney’s imminent departure from the club, Brentford have agreed to break their transfer record to sign 22-year-old Thiago for a reported £30m.

Thiago will remain with Club Brugge until the end of the season before inking a five-year deal at the Brentford Community Stadium.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has openly admitted he expects Toney to be sold this summer and the striker himself has not shied away from discussing a possible move away from the club since his return from an eight-month suspension.

Brentford are likely to demand a sizeable fee for Toney and his future could depend on just how much the Bees want for his services, with all his suitors known to be exploring all their options before biting the bullet.

Chelsea have tracked Toney but are believed to have other strikers ahead of him on their wish list, namely Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, whose contract contains a release clause worth over £100m.

As for Arsenal, the Gunners are among the suitors of Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee, while reports elsewhere have named Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic and Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke as possible alternatives to Toney.