Ivan Toney has revealed the motivating factors that saw him leave west London to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli this summer.
The 28-year-old missed a lot of the 2023/24 season due to his eight-month ban for breaching gambling guidelines, but the campaign before notched an impressive 20 Premier League goals for Brentford.
A move to one of the league’s top teams was long mooted, leaving some shocked at his Saudi switch, with others who have made a similar transfer typically doing so at a later point in their career.
Ivan Toney reveals attraction to the Saudi Pro League and avoidance of transfer windows
“Arsenal? Manchester United? I never get involved in transfer windows, because the time I did, it broke down and I was devastated,” Toney tells FourFourTwo in an exclusive interview. “I let my people take charge of things now. If something is meant to be, it will fall into place, but I’m not one to force a move.”
The ill-fated move in question involved a teenage Toney heading to Wolverhampton Wanderers, waving goodbye to his life with Northampton Town, before seeing the move break down and forcing a difficult resettlement period.
The avoidance of transfer talk leads Toney to insist he doesn’t even know which teams made a definitive move for him in the summer, but he liked what he saw when he heard of Al-Ahli’s interest.
“I came here and the training ground was good, the stadium was nice and the quality in the team was good also,” he continued. “People look at this league differently, but I stepped into it knowing it’s still a high standard.
“I wanted something a bit different. It’s a different culture, but I can blend in anywhere. I’ve been at Peterborough, Brentford, now out of the UK. I’m excited to be on this journey. I believe it’s the right move at this stage of my career.”
Far from the reputation as a semi-retirement destination for footballers, Toney views his Saudi step as the next evolution in his career, with plenty of seasons still ahead of him.
Speaking of his adjusting to his new home, Toney said: “I’d rather it like this [hot] than rainy and windy. On the pitch, it’s been different — a little tough — but I’ll adapt and hopefully start scoring goals and winning games.
“I’m 28 now, so I still want to achieve things for the next six, seven or eight years.”
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