What Ivan Toney truly thinks about joining Leeds United in January, with £25m fee required

There have been some suggestions that Ivan Toney could become a possible target for Leeds United in the January transfer window, with Toney expected to leave Al Ahli.

After 18 months in the Middle East, the message has been made clear to Toney. If the former Brentford striker wants to be a part of Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, he needs to return to the Premier League.

Toney was missing from Tuchel’s latest England squad, and it is now widely believed that he will be on his way back to England, even if it means he will suffer a heavy loss in wages due to Saudi Arabia’s tax laws.

Plenty of Premier League clubs have been linked with Toney. Tottenham need a striker, and the chance to reunite with Thomas Frank is likely to appeal. Ally McCoist thinks Leeds will be interested in signing Toney.

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Ivan Toney’s stance on Leeds United move ahead of January

The 29-year-old has starred in the Middle East, scoring 41 goals in 59 games and winning the Saudi Super Cup. But the standard is obviously lower than the Premier League, even if it’s getting better and better.

That is likely to be why Tuchel is not considering Toney at the moment, ahead of the World Cup. While Toney seems keen on a return to England, the former Brentford ace is not considering a move to Leeds.

TeamTalk say Toney is not interested in joining Leeds, with other Premier League clubs in the mix. It is claimed that, alongside Spurs, Everton and West Ham are also interested in nabbing Toney’s signature.

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The two other reasons why Toney won’t be joining Leeds

LeedsUnited.News understands there was never any chance Toney would end up at Elland Road. But the report from TeamTalk goes into more detail, explaining that Al Ahli are open to a sale for a fee of £25m.

It is reported that given Leeds’ perilous position on the PSR borderline, they will not be spending that kind of cash unless they can sell players. The other is that Leeds would struggle to afford Toney’s wages.

Indeed, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is believed to be Leeds’ highest-paid player but a move for Toney would see Leeds rip up their wage structure to be able to bring Toney to Elland Road. No chance of a deal, then.