A number of Premier League clubs are thought to be considering bringing Ivan Toney back to England.
The 29-year-old has scored 41 goals in 59 appearances for Al Ahly since joining from Brentford in a £40m deal in the summer of 2024.
Toney has scored 41 goals for Ahly since joining on Deadline Day of the 2024 summer transfer window.
The main difficulty in bringing Tony back will be financial. He is highly paid in Saudi Arabia and has a contract until 2028.
However, with a number of striker moves occurring in the summer, centre-forwards are now a valuable asset and Toney has proven himself at Premier League level.
Victor Osimhen was also part of the jigsaw, although a move to Al Ahly in 2024 did not materialize until Deadline Day, with all parties waiting to see if the Premier League club would join.
Although no Premier League team ultimately signed him, clubs continued to monitor his progress in the Middle East, which remains impressive.
Toney made 85 appearances in the top flight for Brentford, scoring 36 goals, and broke into the England international during his time in west London.
He last played for Thomas Tuchel in June and is not part of England’s squad, which will face Serbia and Albania this month ahead of the World Cup.
Toney’s return could solve England striker’s dilemma
Patrick Lowe of Sky Sports:
England currently have a striker dilemma and a return to the Premier League in January could see Toney back at the forefront of Tuchel’s thinking ahead of the World Cup.
Harry Kane is the only striker confirmed in the Three Lions manager’s latest squad.
Jarrod Bowen, Marcus Rashford and Jude Bellingham could fill that role, but there is a big hole in the squad and a player of Toney’s quality is ready to take Kane’s place.
The England captain has played in three competitions for Bayern Munich this season. Going directly from a crowded fixture list to a major international tournament will be a huge burden on the 32-year-old, who will soon turn 33 once the World Cup concludes.
A return to the top level of English football would be beneficial for both sides, not to mention the clubs who were lucky enough to secure his talent ahead of the tournament.
