Al-Ahli’s £40 million move to buy Ivan Toney from Brentford could be thwarted by Saudi Pro League regulations.
On Friday morning, it was announced that Toney was set to turn down offers from the Premier League this summer in favour of joining Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli for £40 million. However, with Al-Ahli also wanting to buy Victor Osimhen from Napoli for £67 million, the Saudi club has put themselves in a tight position. According to daily star.
The Saudi Pro League rules indicate that clubs can only register ten non-Saudi-born players of any age. As things stand, they have nine non-Saudi players on their roster: Roger Ibanez, Roberto Firmino, Alexsander, Edouard Mendy, Gabri Veiga, Franck Kessie, Riyad Mahrez, Modou Barrow, and Merih Demiral – which means they can only sign one of Toney or Osimhen until one of the other nine is sold.
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And this could be a boost for Chelsea fans hoping to see the club sign a striker on deadline day. This summer, the Blues expressed interest in both Toney and Osimhen.
Enzo Maresca stated?
Enzo Maresca has stated openly that he wants to bring in another striker despite Chelsea having a number of players who are not currently training with the first team. They, too, have challenges to resolve on deadline day, with Raheem Sterling’s and Ben Chilwell’s futures uncertain.
However, if Al-Ahli decides to favor one over the other, Chelsea might sign the striker that the Saudi Pro League club decides not to sell. Toney, who has attracted interest from the Blues, Manchester United, and Arsenal, had one year left on his Brentford contract, with the Bees eager to trade him before the transfer window closed.
On Thursday, Brentford manager Thomas Frank stated: “Ivan trained all week. Trained with a positive mindset in every element. He could and could not be involved.
“He could be here after August 30, or he could be absent. Basically, everything is in the air. I’ve been saying all along that if he’s here,I’m very happy, if he’s not here then I’m happy on his behalf. Who knows, let’s see, let’s see what will happen.”
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