Why Ivan Toney is unlikely to leave in January amid links to three Premier League clubs

Al-Ahli don’t want to lose Ivan Toney in January, talkSPORT understands.

The 29-year-old England striker joined the Jeddah-based club in summer 2024 from Brentford for a fee in the region of £40m and has gone on to score 41 goals in 61 games, including 11 this season.

Toney won the Asian Champions League last campaign and got 30 goals in all competitions.

With the World Cup just over six months away, the former Brentford forward has been linked with a move back to the Premier League, but as talkSPORT revealed in November, a mid-season return to England as viewed as unlikely.

New Al-Ahli sporting director Rui Pedro Braz has no inclination to sell or loan Toney, and the club’s position is only likely to change if they found an elite replacement.

Richarlison was the club’s top target before Toney arrived, but the Brazilian was not keen on a switch over the summer and is now playing regularly for Spurs.

Toney is contracted at Al-Ahli until summer 2028 and understood to be happy in Saudi. And England boss Thomas Tuchel has not communicated any guarantees of a place in his World Cup squad if Toney left Saudi Arabia this window.

Interested parties

West Ham and Tottenham have both discussed Toney, while Manchester United have been linked and broadly speaking could be open to adding a more experienced striker in 2026 if the right opportunity presents itself.

No club has presented an offer to Al-Ahli, although there has been some formative outreach from clubs to the Toney camp.

talkSPORT understands it has been communicated back that Toney is settled in Saudi Arabia.

Toney must also stay in Saudi Arabia until at least April 2026 in order to be considered a non-UK tax resident.

Even if a suitor persuaded him to make a move, Al-Ahli would demand a fee higher than the £40m paid and Toney’s wage could prove a stumbling block. He currently earns over £400k a week in Saudi Arabia without paying tax.

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All signs point to Toney staying at Al-Ahli in January, and potentially even beyond this summer.

And it appears the striker would have no issue with that or of the quality of the Saudi Pro League despite the noise of its critics.

“The standard in Saudi Arabia is high. They can play football here. The players are not as known as in the Premier League, but there are many who can play there,” Toney told The Guardian in September.

Toney knows time is running out on his World Cup but remains confident that if he is performing well then the opportunity will arise ahead of next summer’s tournament.

The striker earned five caps between March and July 2024 including appearances at the Euros in Germany.

However, since arriving in the Middle East, Toney has been summoned for international duty just once.

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“I have to concentrate on myself, give myself the best chance possible, and who knows? If I am selected, I will do my best for my country, but if not I’ll be cheering the boys on,” Toney added.

“I don’t expect to have a conversation with him,” Toney replied after being asked whether he had been in contact with Tuchel.

“I am sure he has other things to be concentrating on. My job is to do well. It is what it is.

“If you are good enough, you are good enough; it doesn’t matter where you are playing in the world. As long as you are doing the right things and scoring goals, then you give yourself a chance.”