Toney in for contract talks

BRENTFORD are set to open contract talks with Ivan Toney at the end of the season despite his eight-month ban from football for betting offences. Owner Matthew Benham had been planning to listen to offers for Toney this summer, but given the England striker will be out of action until January at the earliest there is an acknowledgement at the club that other Premier League sides are unlikely to match a valuation in excess of £50million. Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle expressed interest in Toney earlier this season.

He has two years left on the £20,000-a-week contract he signed when he arrived from Peterborough three years ago. Brentford operate a strict payscale, however, with Ben Mee the club’s highest-paid player on about £55,000 a week, and were unwilling to meet Toney’s demands during negotiations last year. One possible compromise that could suit both parties would be for Toney to accept lower wages than he could obtain elsewhere in return for the club inserting a release clause in his contract that would enable him to leave for a fixed price next summer. Without signing a new contract Toney’s transfer value would drop significantly in 12 months’ time. Brentford and Toney are waiting to see the FA’s written reasons before deciding whether to appeal against the severity of the punishment, and any talks over a new deal will not begin until the process has concluded.

The FA will request to FIFA that Toney’s suspension applies worldwide, in order to block any attempt by him to play for a club abroad.