Ivan Toney has been left out of Brentford’s first Premier League squad of the season amid increasing transfer interest in the striker.
Toney only has a year left on his contract with the Bees and there is increasing speculation that he will leave.
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This situation was made worse by his absence from the squad for Sunday’s season opener against Crystal Palace.
He said: “There is a lot going on with Ivan, especially in terms of transfers, there is a lot of transfer interest.”
“For all these reasons, we have decided not to include him in the squad. I can’t give too much away.
“Of course Ivan is a top player, he was fantastic for us for four years, but we showed last season that we can manage without him.
“Is it his last game? Who knows. There is interest, it’s not close.”
This is a radical turnaround from the situation earlier this week, when Frank said Toney was available for selection.
In his pre-match press conference, he said: “The news is that he’s been out there training with a big smile on his face. He looks fit, has a good attitude and is ready to play on Sunday.”
The Pitch Prospect believes the England international is a top target for Al-Ahli.
However, if Toney moves to Saudi Arabia, he will demand a huge salary.
The striker wants to earn around £17 million a year to swap West London for the Middle East.
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Toney was on Tottenham’s radar before they signed Dominic Solanke for £65 million.
Another club that has been monitoring his situation is Arsenal, however Brentford’s £50 million valuation is likely outside the club’s price range.
Toney began his career at his hometown club Northampton Town, but moved to Premier League side Newcastle in the summer of 2015 at the age of 19.
However, he failed to break into the Magpies’ first team as he was loaned out six times during his three-year spell at Newcastle.
In the summer of 2018, he was relegated to League One with Peterborough United, where he excelled, scoring 49 goals in 94 appearances.
Posh’s good form prompted a call from Championship side Brentford, with the West London club paying up to £10 million for Toney’s services in August 2020.
He settled in immediately at Brentford, scoring 31 goals as the club earned promotion to the top division for the first time since the 1946/47 season.
Last season, however, he was banned for eight months after admitting betting offences.