01 February 2024 , 18:25
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Brentford boss Thomas Frank believes the club's refusal to sell star striker Ivan Toney in the January transfer window is a sign of how far they have come, despite the admitting the Bees remain a "selling" club.
Toney has been heavily linked with a move away this month, having now returned to action after serving an eight-month ban for breaching FA betting rules. Last season, Toney scored 20 Premier League goals in 33 appearances and he has also found the back of the net in both of the games he has played since returning.
The likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United were all interested in the 27-year-old, but Frank stated early on in the window that it would take an "unbelievable" offer to persuade Brentford to sell Toney.
"This will be breaking news, OK – but Ivan will stay," Frank said when asked about the forward on deadline day. "Happy? Yes, but I was pretty sure as I said from the beginning that Ivan will stay with us so I was not worried about that.
"In general, it is nice to know what you are working with so in that situation, yes (I am happy). I think with any player we have a contract in general so at the end of the day we decide if they leave or not.
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"Of course money talks and we also know that we are a 'selling' club as you could call it – we know that is part of the strategy. We want to have young, talented players in, develop them and make them better.
"Be on a journey with us, improve and hopefully do some fantastic stuff in the league and maybe one day win something. But at the end of the day, after some years if they are good enough they will progress to the next level."
Ivan Toney was heavily linked with a move away this month, but the striker will be staying at Brentford (Clive Rose)Brentford have made a handful of additions in the window, with Turkish midfielder Yunus Emre Konak and Iceland goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson completing permanent moves, but Frank was particularly delighted with the signing of Sergio Reguilon on loan from Tottenham until the end of the season.
"The very big one was Sergio Reguilon; he was a key signing because we needed a left-back in," he explained. "I'm very happy with that, as well as the two talents we signed in Yunus and Hakon.
"They are classic Brentford signings; players we have big belief in for the future. We know we have a strong squad; our biggest issue has been injuries. You can see players that have been out coming back – Ben Mee, Ivan, Christian – so we have got more of the strong core."