Al-Ahli consider making improved bid for Brentford star Ivan Toney

Saudi Arabian moneybags Al-Ahli are considering an improved offer for Ivan Toney after having an initial overture of £35million rejected.

Brentford are maintaining an asking price of £60m but Al-Ahli's next offer could land in the range of £45-£50m.  

Toney was left out of the Brentford side that pulled off a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday thanks to goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa. 

After the match Thomas Frank admitted he 'hopes' a deal will be completed and sounded resigned to the idea of the striker departing. 

'A deal is not close but we hope it will be. He has been one of our best players, if not our best player over a long spell. Like with any good player, one day they will leave,' he said.

'All the top players in the Premier League, one day they will leave the club and someone else needs to step up and do well.'

Asked if it is a question of when, not if, Toney leaves, he said: 'Yes, I guess that is fair.' He could not say if the star had played his last game for the club.  

Toney is still unsure about the move, especially with the potential for interest to evolve from other Premier League clubs. 

In January he told Sky Sports: 'You can never predict when is the right time to move elsewhere, but it’s obvious I want to play for a top club.

'Everybody wants to play for a top club, [one] that is fighting for titles.'

Wissa started down the middle for the Bees against Palace but in the medium-term they will also be able to call on club-record £30m signing Igor Thiago.

Thiago agreed his move from Club Brugge in February and went on to finish the seasn with 29 goals.

However, a pre-season meniscus injury and surgery see him sidelined until the late months of the year. 

Toney has scored 72 goals in 141 appearances for Brentford and broke the 20-goal barrier in the 2022-23 Premier League season. 

Should he join Al-Ahli, he would link up with Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino, and Edouard Mendy, all recruited last summer.