Brentford head coach Thomas Frank has admitted star striker Ivan Toney will ‘most likely be sold in the summer’.

Toney recently returned from an eight-month ban for a string of betting offences, scoring two goals in three games since resuming action.

The 27-year-old was one of only three players to break the 20-goal barrier in the Premier League last season, joining an exclusive club with Harry Kane (30) and the record-breaking Erling Haaland (36).

As media attention ramped up ahead of his return last month, Toney – whose contract expires in 2025 – admitted he would like to play for a ‘top club’.

In an interview with Danish media, Frank said the Bees are likely to grant their talisman his wish this summer and that watching Toney play for a bigger team would be ‘fun’.

“It’s quite obvious that Ivan Toney will most likely be sold in the summer,” Frank said to Tipsbladet.

“It can be expensive to sell your best player, but on the other hand, I also know that by summer, he’ll only have a year left on his contract with us.

“We also know what he’s worth. I don’t think there are many strikers in the world who are better than him right now.

“He’s a really good striker who is in his prime footballing age. Personally, as a coach, I would prefer to keep Toney, but one day it could be fun to see him at a top team.”

Arsenal and Chelsea were both heavily linked with moves for Toney during the January window, with both in need of goal-scoring number nines. However, Frank revealed Brentford were not contacted over a deal last month.

“This winter, we actually had no bids for him, but it would surprise me if there aren’t a lot of clubs interested in him,” Frank added.