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AL-AHLI SAYS NO: IVAN TONEY'S £40M SAUDI MOVE BLOCKS JANUARY EXIT FOR TOTTENHAM
Ivan Toney's Premier League return is off. talkSPORT reveals the striker is settled at Al-Ahli, with the Saudi club refusing to sell in January despite interest from Spurs and others.
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.
£35M LOSS: ANALYZING THE COLLAPSE OF HARVEY ELLIOTT'S MANDATORY VILLA TRANSFER
Harvey Elliott's loan to Aston Villa is ending early after just six months. The mandatory £35M purchase clause is now unlikely to be activated.
Harvey Elliott's time at Aston Villa might be cut short. Just six months after joining the club, he might be leaving in January.
The attacking midfielder came from Liverpool on a season-long loan on deadline day in September.
The deal with Villa included a requirement to buy him, plus clauses about selling him later or buying him back.
But, Elliott hasn't played much since joining Villa, even though they won against other teams in the Premier League and Europe to get him.
Unai Emery said that the club is looking at what to do with the 22-year-old before the next transfer window opens next month.
This comes after Elliott didn't travel with the team for their Europa League game against Basel on Thursday.
Emery talked about Elliott's future at Villa in a press conference before a game.
He said, We're talking with him about his situation.
He's not with us. We hope we can find the best solution for him and for us.
I respect him as a player and as a person. He's training well, but there's a situation with him.
Hopefully, we can find a solution for him to play often and continue his career, either with us or somewhere else.
Elliott has played in only five games for Villa since joining, scoring once.
His last game was a short four-minute appearance against Feyenoord in the Europa League in October.
He hasn't been in the squad for any of Villa's last seven Premier League games.
Emery added, I've spoken with him two or three times about the situation.
First, my decision and also the situation. He's on loan with us, but he's not really contributing to us with a permanent contract.
This is a setback for Liverpool.
Liverpool was supposed to get £35 million when Elliott's loan to Villa became a permanent deal.
But the requirement to buy him kicks in only if he plays in 10 games for the club.
So, the Reds will likely miss out on that money this summer since he's only played about half that many games.
If Elliott leaves Villa, he'll likely have to return to Anfield in January.
The former England under-21 player played twice for Liverpool this season before being loaned out.
FIFA rules say players can only play for two clubs in one season.
Elliott could get around this rule by joining a club in a league that runs from summer to winter, like those in the MLS.
BUNDESLIGA STAR: ANALYZING NATHANIEL BROWN'S FIT FOR TOTTENHAM'S DEFENSE
An analytical look at Nathaniel Brown's Bundesliga performance shows why he is a top target for Spurs. Can they beat out three major rivals for the defender?
According to a recent report from journalist Dean Jones, Tottenham Hotspur will have a tough time signing Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Nathaniel Brown. Spurs will have to compete with Manchester City, West Ham United, Manchester United, and Arsenal to get the German defender next year.
Brown has played well on Frankfurt’s left side this season. The 22-year-old has one goal and four assists in 20 games for the German club in all competitions.
The German player has shown he can defend well, with 30 tackles, 15 blocks, ten interceptions, and 16 clearances in the Bundesliga. He also passes the ball well from the left, with an 81.3% pass success rate in the German top league (stats via fbref.com).
His contract with the German club ends in the summer of 2030, so it won’t be easy for Tottenham to sign him next year.
Should Tottenham Hotspur Manager Thomas Frank Sign Brown?
Brown is a good tackler and times his challenges well to win the ball back. He clears the ball when the other team is attacking and is also a good passer.
The German player can score and assist goals from the left. Brown is mainly a left-back but can also play as a left-sided midfielder if needed. We’ll see if he can handle the Premier League’s physicality and intensity if Spurs sign him next year.
Brown would make Tottenham manager Thomas Frank’s defence better and deeper. He could earn a regular spot in the first team at the North London club in the years ahead.
At 22, Brown could become a star in English soccer if he keeps improving each season. Overall, Frank should sign him in 2026.
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