The £1 Million-A-Week Stumbling Block
Premier League clubs hoping to orchestrate a dramatic return for striker Ivan Toney in the January transfer window are facing a sobering financial reality. Any club wishing to bring the England international back to England would need to cover a staggering wage package approaching £1 million per week to match his current earnings.
This astronomical figure stems from the lucrative contract Toney signed when he left Brentford for Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli in August 2024. The £33.5 million transfer was accompanied by a four-year deal that nets the 29-year-old around £400,000 a week after tax, a sum that can rise to £500,000 a week with various add-ons and performance bonuses.
Clubs Weighing the Financial Gamble
To provide Toney with a similar take-home pay in the United Kingdom, where the tax burden is significantly higher, interested Premier League suitors would be forced to offer a basic salary of roughly £900,000 each week. This presents an obvious and major obstacle for clubs such as Tottenham, Everton, and West Ham, all of whom are actively seeking striker reinforcements and have made preliminary enquiries about Toney's availability.
The financial complications do not end there. Should Toney leave Saudi Arabia within two years of his arrival, he would face substantial tax penalties, a cost that would inevitably have further implications for any salary package offered by an English club. With this in mind, a transfer this January appears highly improbable unless the player himself is prepared to accept a massive reduction in his earnings.
A Summer Move More Plausible
Given these immense financial hurdles, a potential return for the former Brentford star is considered far more plausible at the end of the summer transfer window, after he has spent two years in the Middle East. Furthermore, Toney is understood to be settled and happy in his current environment with Jeddah-based Al Ahli.
His impressive goal-scoring form ensures he remains a topic of discussion among Premier League decision-makers. After netting 30 goals in his debut season, he has continued his prolific form with 11 goals in just 15 games this term. This consistency keeps him on the radar of England manager Thomas Tuchel as a potential backup to Harry Kane with the World Cup on the horizon.
However, with Al Ahli also expecting a significant transfer fee for a player with over two years remaining on his contract, the overall cost for a January move seems prohibitive. Premier League clubs are now left pondering a critical question: does the enormous financial outlay for Toney outweigh the gamble of potentially missing out on Champions League qualification or failing to avoid relegation? For several clubs, the more viable option may be to shelve their interest until the summer.
