What Brentford star Ivan Toney has already said about £100m Arsenal or Liverpool transfer

The future of Brentford striker Ivan Toney remains up in the air as the talisman's potential departure from West London proves to be an ongoing transfer saga.

The 27-year-old is set to return from his eight-month ban for gambling breaches this month with Thomas Frank sharing his intentions to have his star man available for selection. However, Premier League title chasers Arsenal and Chelsea both continue to be linked with a move for the marksman who bagged 20 league goals last season.

Should Toney leave the Getch Community Stadium, it is reported that Brentford will demand no less than £100 million for his services while other outlets suggest the club are working on having the player sign a new contract with a built-in release clause aimed at a summer sale.

The England international, who is back in training and scoring goals, has already spoken about his future with an unusual candour when appearing on Steven Bartlett's The Diary of a CEO podcast last year. While also talking about his gambling ban and career through football, Toney namechecked two clubs that would be of particular interest to him.

He said: "The next club I go to, if I was to move, would be the right club. I've been a Liverpool fan my whole life… but from young, I’ve liked Arsenal. I’ve liked watching Arsenal and how they play and how passionate their fans are. I’m a Liverpool boy at heart."

The Bees star also admitted that manager Thomas Frank was aware of his desire to make a move when the right time comes. He said: "I don't let this all affect me. Obviously, you hear it all going on in the background but my job is to keep training well and when I get the chance in the games, to keep scoring and doing well.

"Everybody wants to play at the top of the tree, not that Brentford aren't there, but playing for a big club and fighting for trophies everyone wants to do. If the chance was to come along, I think I'd be silly not to look more into it. The manager knows that. I want to be playing at the highest level possible. Whenever that time comes, so be it.