Brentford forward Ivan Toney has confirmed his desire to "play for a top club", with the Englishman being linked with big-money moves to the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.
The 27-year-old's eight-month suspension for breaching Football Association betting regulations has now officially come to an end, with the striker set to be involved in Brentford's Premier League contest with Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Toney scored 21 goals and registered five assists in 35 appearances at club level last season, but he has not played a competitive match since May 6 due to his suspension.
There has been widespread speculation surrounding his future over the last few weeks, with both Arsenal and Chelsea believed to be keen to sign him during the January window.
Speaking ahead of his return to the field, Toney has refused to rule out a winter exit, although it is highly unlikely that Brentford will let him leave at this stage of the season.
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"You can never predict when is the right time to move elsewhere, but I think it's obvious I want to play for a top club," Toney told Sky Sports News.
"Everybody wants to play for a top club, that is fighting for titles. Whether it's this January that is the right time for a club to come in and pay the right money, who knows? But my main focus is to do what I do on the pitch, and let the background work take care of itself.
"To be the best, you have to play with the best and compete against the best. We all know Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the world and he's been doing it for some years now.
"If I want to be England's number one, then I have to compete against him. He's not a bad striker to be taking tips off and be training with.
"I just have to keep scoring goals, keep playing well and then who knows what could happen? If I just fall short, then hopefully I can become the second best in the world.
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"I feel like a free man. A massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I can't wait to get back to enjoying playing football again this Saturday. It's a big day today but an even bigger day on Saturday.
"My whole family knows what the weekends are about - they travel down to watch me play football. Missing that for eight months is painful.
"It's painful for me knowing I've ruined their weekend. I can't wait to repay them in the next games, pick up where I left off and get the goals back under my belt and give them something to be happy about.
"I believe you will see [the real Ivan Toney] straight away. I'd like to think it will be there straight away as I've been playing well behind closed doors, training well.
"I feel I can pick up where I left off. I've got nothing to prove to anybody but just to myself I want to focus on starting right and scoring goals sooner rather than later."
Toney, who is thought to be valued in excess of £100m by Brentford, has scored 68 goals and registered 21 assists in 124 appearances for his current side since arriving from Peterborough United in 2020.
Matt Law
