Alan Pardew claims £60m striker’s agent wants him to join Arsenal | Football

The 28-year-old England international has been linked with a move away from the Gtech Community Stadium for several months and was left out of Brentford’s Premier League opener against Crystal Palace last weekend.

Al-Ahli have opened discussions with a view a deal to getting a deal over the line for Toney before the transfer deadline, but the Saudi Pro League outfit are still some distance from satisfying Brentford’s demands for the striker.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have also been credited with an interest in Toney. However, it’s understood Brentford’s £60million asking price is putting their rivals off a possible bid.

Toney, who has entered into the final 12 months of his contract in west London, has made no secret of his ambitions to play for a ‘top club’ in the future.

Addressing the speculation surrounding Toney, Pardew – speaking on talkSPORT – lifted the lid on a conversation he had with the player’s representative regarding the attacker’s potential transfer options.

‘Let me tell you. I know Toney’s agent personally and I think he would like the boy to go to Arsenal. There you go, there’s a bit of insight,’ Pardew said.

‘I know that he thought that might be a good fit for the boy when I had a discussion.’

Pardew feels Manchester United could be the best fit for Toney given they have the ‘room to take him’ and require a proven goalscorer with ‘experience’.

‘I think of all the top clubs, the one that stands out for me in Manchester United,’ he added.

‘I think that might be the club that have got the finance and the room to take him.

‘They’ve got a young striker, they need someone with experience and I think that could be the place.’

Pardew is confident Toney would prove himself to be a ‘great signing’ regardless of where he ends up this summer.

‘The thing I like about Ivan Toney is that he puts a statement on the pitch when he plays,’ Pardew continued.

‘Whenever I spoke to my centre-halves, that’s the sort of player they always hated playing against: physical, running down the sides, aggressive, long arms, long legs, can’t get around him, he’s up for every minute of the game, he’s always going across the front.

‘I really like him and he think he’s a great signing. Where his destination is, we’ll have to wait and see.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.