Paul Merson has warned Ivan Toney he has no chance of playing for England again after his transfer to the Saudi Pro League.
Toney was always expected to depart Brentford over the summer and was linked with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.
However, the Premier League giants opted not to make a move for the striker, leading to him joining Al-Ahli on deadline day where he will earn a staggering £400,000-a-week after tax.
Though not an England regular, Toney’s form for Brentford had earned him a spot in Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad, notably going on to set up the winner against Slovakia in the last-16.
The 28-year-old has not made Lee Carsley’s first Three Lions side however, which was picked prior to the completion of the Al-Ahli transfer, despite injuries to centre-forwards Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke.
It’s been speculated that the new England boss is therefore not considering selecting those playing in Saudi, just like Ronald Koeman who brutally axed Steven Bergwijn from the Dutch team following his transfer to Al-Ittihad.
It’s a decision Merson agrees with, telling Sky Sports: ‘I think Koeman’s spot on. I don’t get the Bergwijn one. He’s got many years left to come.
‘If the Saudi Arabia league is going to be that good and they want it to be that great, it’s still going to be there in five, six, seven years. I didn’t get that one. I didn’t get that at 26.
‘I can understand the older players, I really can. I can understand the Ivan Toney one, there was nothing here for him so he had to take that deal. But he’ll find it hard to get in [the England squad].
‘Especially with all the injuries that have happened, we haven’t really got an out and out forward bar Harry Kane. If he’s not in this squad, I don’t see him getting in any of the others.’
Interim boss Carsley begins his senior England career with Nations League clashes against Ireland and Finland this week, and named four uncapped players in his first squad.
And Merson has backed the manager for taking a quick stance on the unselection of players from the Saudi Pro League after Southgate’s non-decision on the matter.
‘If you’re going to Saudi Arabia, it’s not the standard of the Premier League. I don’t think you should [get called up],’ the former Arsenal and England star added.
‘You’re only going there because you’re sort of at the end of your career if I’m being honest. If you make a quick stance like England did and then you just get on with it.
‘The players know and they make their minds up and they go, “Do I take the money or do I go and play for my country?”. Everyone can earn money but not everyone can play for their country.’
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