Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United ‘working with’ agent to agree deal for £80m Brentford star

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has hinted that the club is open to losing striker Ivan Toney in January after coping well during his football ban.

The Brentford manager appeared on Monday Night Football and gave an honest assessment of Toney, who is returning to training this week after serving almost four months of his ban away from the team.

He still cannot be involved in matches but he can work with his teammates and get ready for what is expected to be a massive January return.

Since the Bees were promoted to the Premier League, Toney has been the main man and bagged 20 goals last season. Only Harry Kane and Elring Haaland scored more.

In his absence, Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo have been carrying the heavy load for the Bees, who have made a decent start to their Premier League campaign.

Toney has changed agents in recent weeks as he looks to engineer a move away. Manager Thomas Frank admits he would not stand in his way if a good offer were to arrive.

He said on Monday Night Football: “I think every club in the world is a selling club apart from five or six clubs. We are a selling club if the right price is there. I think it’s the right timing for the player to go - that is not my decision in the end.

“If they build well with us on this journey, and now prove they are good enough to go to the top clubs, but for the right price. Yes, it does apply to him too (Toney). I understand why there are a lot of rumours out there, for me, as a striker and a number nine, I don’t see many others better than him in the world.

“You have [Harry] Kane, Robert [Lewandowski], and [Erling] Haaland, but not many scored 20 goals in the Premier League - for a very good Brentford side. Of course, we are not creating as many chances as the top six teams, so imagine him in a top team, he would easily score 20-25 goals.

“I think he’s composed, a good mentality, a good finisher so I can see why clubs are looking at him. But, he’s a Brentford player, and if other clubs want to come, in today’s market, the prices for number six players, we know that attacking players are the most expensive ones so I guess that will be very expensive.”