It sounds like Ivan Toney's potential reunion with his old Brentford manager, Thomas Frank, is looking less and less likely. Word is, he's expected to stay with Al-Ahli not just through January but possibly beyond next summer as well.

Since joining the Saudi Pro League's Al-Ahli in 2024 for around £40 million ($53m), the 29-year-old has fit right in. Right now, it doesn't seem like he'll be returning to play in England anytime soon.

Toney is likely to stay in Saudi Arabia

Toney has been a scoring machine, with 42 goals in 62 games, including 12 this season. This output has made him one of the league's top foreign players. He also helped Al-Ahli win the Asian Champions League and scored 30 goals in all competitions last season. But, with the 2026 World Cup approaching and England manager Thomas Tuchel not making any promises about who will be selected, people have been wondering if Toney might want to come back to the Premier League. Spurs, West Ham, and Manchester United have all talked about the possibility of bringing him back. Still, everything coming out of Saudi Arabia suggests he's staying put, as talkSPORT reported.

Al-Ahli firm: No sale in January

Al-Ahli's new sporting director, Rui Pedro Braz, is not planning to approve any sale or loan in January. The club, which has a lot of state funding, would only consider letting Toney go if they could find a really good replacement, which they think is very unlikely in the middle of the season. The Saudi team is also happy that Toney is content where he is. talkSPORT says that his representatives have told interested Premier League clubs that he is settled, gets paid well, and isn't currently pushing for a move. His contract lasts until 2028, and he makes over £400,000 per week tax-free, which makes any potential return difficult. On top of that, Toney needs to stay outside the UK until at least April 2026 to keep his non-UK tax residency. If he comes back too soon, he would have to pay a lot in taxes, which makes it even harder for English clubs to make an offer.

Braz mentioned: Ivan Toney is a great player, a top striker. The rumours about him possibly leaving in January aren't true. They're just not true. We're counting on him, so it doesn't make any sense to talk about this in November.

Toney is still hoping for an England recall

Even though he hasn't been playing much internationally, Toney is still hoping that doing well in Saudi Arabia will help him get back into the England squad before the World Cup. Between March and July 2024, he played five times and even made a difference at Euro 2024, assisting Harry Kane's winning goal against Slovakia and scoring in the shootout win over Switzerland. But since moving to the Middle East, he has only been called up once and has only played in England's 3-1 loss to Senegal. Still, Toney insists he hasn't asked Thomas Tuchel for clarification on where he stands in the squad.

He says: I need to focus on myself and give myself the best chance possible. Who knows? If I get selected, I'll do my best for my country, but if not, I'll be cheering the boys on. I don't expect to talk to him. I'm sure he has other things to worry about. My job is to do well. It is what it is. If you're good enough, you're good enough; it doesn't matter where you're playing. As long as you're doing the right things and scoring goals, you give yourself a chance.

Saudi League criticism dismissed

Toney has strongly defended the quality of the Saudi Pro League, despite some criticism from people in the European football community.

The level in Saudi Arabia is high. They know how to play football here. The players aren't as well-known as in the Premier League, but many could play there, Toney told The Guardian in September.

After a short break, Toney will be back playing against Damac in the Saudi League on December 19. At the same time, Tottenham will be trying to get back to winning after losing badly to Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain in their game against Fulham on Sunday.