When Ivan Toney decided to make the big-money switch from Brentford to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli, many people thought he was throwing his England career away. However, the 30-year-old was recently named in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, highlighting how the German tactician still rates him.
Indeed, this call-up may lead to Premier League clubs taking note and trying to coax the prolific forward back to England’s top flight. There are a few teams that could benefit greatly from a striker of Toney’s ilk next season.
Tuchel Realises the Benefit of Having Toney
England is going into the World Cup as heavy favourites to make it to the latter stages of the competition, and this is thanks to the incredible depth that Tuchel has at his disposal. Indeed, for anyone who places a soccer bet today on the summer competition, they can find odds of 1.73 for England to beat Croatia in their first group game of the competition. The odds are even shorter for their matches against Ghana and Panama, highlighting how they are expected to easily make it to the knockout stages.
There’s no doubt that Harry Kane will be the main man for the Three Lions up top, but taking Toney along is a wise move. The former Brentford man can be a powerful addition to complement the Bayern Munich star if Tuchel decides to switch to two strikers late in games. In addition, his impeccable record from the penalty spot could prove vital if England find themselves in that dreaded situation in the knockout stages.
Various Teams Could Use Toney Up Top
When you look at the Premier League's top scorers this season, there’s clearly been underperformance from many of the traditional out-and-out strikers in the league. Erling Haaland topped the pile by some distance, with no other number nine coming anywhere close to him. Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, for instance, both had underperforming strikers, which led them to much lower league finishes than they’d hoped for.
The great thing about a player like Toney is that he could easily slot into any side in the Premier League and do a job for them. In his full season in the top flight with Brentford in 2022-23, he scored an impressive 20 goals. At Al-Ahli, he’s got 55 goals in 62 games to date. There aren’t many forwards in the world who can boast such numbers.
How Difficult Would It Be to Sign Toney Now?
Although Toney has said that he would be open to a return to the Premier League, it wouldn’t be easy for a club to acquire him. The player is contracted to Al-Ahli until 2028, and the Saudi club will not want to lose him. Therefore, if anyone came in to try to sign him, they’d be quoted a high price.
On top of that, Toney’s wages in the division are astronomical compared to those paid in England. For a club to move for the 30-year-old, they’d need to be able to offer him a different incentive, such as the chance to play Champions League football.
Even though it would be great to see Toney back in the Premier League and many teams would want to sign him, there’s a low probability that it will happen ahead of the 2026-27 season. He may need to run his contract down at Al-Ahli and then try for a move after that.