Arsenal and Chelsea target Ivan Toney pens enticing one-word message as ban ends

Returning Brentford striker Ivan Toney is making no secret of his relief to have completed the ban that has kept him out of footballing action for eight months.

The Bees talisman, who has been the centre of transfer talk so far this January, saw his ban end on January 16 and he is set to feature in Thomas Frank's side for the meeting with Nottingham Forest at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday. Toney, who has been scoring for fun in training matches, returns at a crucial time for a club which is winless in their last seven matches.

Having committed his immediate future to the West London side last week, Toney took to social media at 8:34 am on Wednesday to celebrate the end of his ban with a simple message online. Writing on X, the England international shared a simple GIF of a character exclaiming the word 'Free!'.

The striker's last appearance for the club came in a 1-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield in May 2023, which ended a season in which he plundered 20 Premier League goals. Toney was then banned from the sport for eight months after admitting 232 breaches of the FA's betting rules. He was also fined £50,000.

The player's long-term future at Brentford remains up in the air with Arsenal and Chelsea both hotly tipped to be willing to splash the demanded £100 million for the goalscorer. However, despite reports his month, that looks to be a deal for the summer with the Bees desperate for their star man to help avoid a relegation battle and interested parties cautious of Financial Fair Play regulations.

Toney himself appeared to pour cold water on a potential January move last week as he pledged his allegiance to Thomas Frank and his side. He told Sky Sports: "The club was right behind me from the first bit. The fans were behind me, which was a massive part.

"Even when I wasn't at their games, they were singing my name. And I got loads of messages on social media. A friend of mine sent me a video of the fans singing my name, I got goosebumps to know that they're still behind me, even though I'm not there. Everyone knows Brentford is a family club, they have been nothing but amazing for me. I can't thank them enough, especially the fans. They were behind me from the first minute as well. So it's kind of like I have a lot to repay."