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Ivan Toney To Everton or Liverpool? Merseyside Sighting Fuels Transfer Rumours

Everton, Ivan Toney, Liverpool

Ivan Toney’s move away from England felt like one of the more surprising Premier League exits of recent years.

After establishing himself as one of the division’s most reliable centre-forwards at Brentford, the England international left for Saudi Arabia in August 2024, joining Al-Ahli in a deal that took him away from the weekly spotlight of English football.

At the time, there were questions over whether the move would slow his momentum. Toney had been a proven Premier League goalscorer, a senior England international, and a player still viewed as capable of operating at a high level in Europe. Instead, he chose a new challenge in the Saudi Pro League, where expectations and earnings were significant, and scrutiny remained high.

On the pitch, Toney has responded well. His spell with Al-Ahli has been productive, with the striker continuing to score regularly and show the penalty-box instincts that made him such a threat at Brentford.

Rather than disappearing from the conversation, his performances in Saudi Arabia have kept his name rather relevant whenever Premier League clubs are looking for a proven No. 9.

One of the Premier League clubs that keep appearing in this conversation is Everton.

Everton were reportedly interested in the England international in November 2025. They were one of the clubs that enquired about Ivan Toney at that time, but no move was made.

Toney has also refused to close the door on a return to England. In a 2026 Sky Sports interview, when asked about the possibility of returning to English football, he said, “Never say never”. It was not a firm declaration that he wanted to leave Al-Ahli, but it was enough to suggest that a Premier League return remains possible at some stage. For clubs looking for a striker, that kind of answer was always likely to attract attention.

And attract it did, reports surfaced just two months later in April suggesting that Everton had rekindled their interest in the striker.

David Moyes has been looking to strengthen his attacking options in the coming summer, as Everton looks to return to European football. Sitting in 10th with 2 games to go, they are only 2 points off of a European spot.

Their attacking output has reflected their struggles to be consistent in the league.

Beto has had useful moments and can be a handful physically, but he has not always delivered the consistent goal return required from a first-choice striker.

Tyrique George and Thierno Barry, meanwhile, have shown promise and potential, but they are still developing and cannot yet be expected to carry the attack every week.

Everton have options, but not necessarily the guaranteed finisher who could lift the team’s attacking ceiling and deliver them to the grand stage of European football.

Edging closer to the end of the season, Everton and Toney both have two matches left to play in their respective leagues.

However, Ivan Toney was recently spotted at Lime Street Station in Merseyside, which raised some questions.

What was Toney doing in Merseyside with his season still ongoing?

Some Everton fans suggested that he is travelling to meet with David Moyes.

Opposed to what some believe, Ivan Toney is not on holiday, as Al-Ahli play Al-Kholood in the Saudi Pro League on 16th May.

There has been no confirmation about a potential injury either.

Ivan Toney is currently first in the race for the Golden Boot, making it even more confusing as to why he is in a different country.

Ivan Toney is earning around $400,000 a week in Saudi Arabia, a wage that would be almost impossible to match for Everton.

If Ivan Toney is willing to take a wage cut to return to his home country, then Everton’s interest becomes much more realistic. Without that, any deal would be extremely difficult.

His Al-Ahli contract, current form, and salary all place him in a strong position, while Everton would need to be careful not to break their wage structure for one player.

There is also the question of whether Al-Ahli would even entertain a sale. Toney has been one of their standout performers and, with the striker chasing individual honours, losing him would leave a major gap in their attack.

A loan deal could potentially be explored, but even that would likely require Al-Ahli to contribute towards his wages or Everton to make a significant financial commitment.

However, there is another club in Merseyside that could afford the finances involved in this deal, Liverpool. With Ekitike reportedly out till mid-2027, and Alexander Isak being inconsistent and suffering from his own injury issues, Liverpool could look to explore this deal.

Ivan Toney is a self-proclaimed Liverpool fan, which would make a transfer to Liverpool much more sensible for him.

Reports (@AnfieldIndex) linked Liverpool with Toney back in December as a stop-gap solution, when the Isak injury was feared to be much more severe than it was.

For now, the Lime Street sighting remains just that: a sighting. There is no confirmed medical, no agreement between clubs, and no official indication that a transfer is close. However, the timing has naturally fuelled speculation.

The Merseyside clubs have been linked with Toney before; their need for a reliable goalscorer is clear, and the player himself has already admitted that a return to England cannot be ruled out.

This space will surely be worth keeping a watch on as the summer unfolds.

REFERENCES:

Bitibiri, I. B. V. G. W. B. W. (2026, February 16). Ivan Toney: England striker leaves door open for Premier League return and reveals World Cup hopes. Sky Sports. https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13507852/ivan-toney-england-striker-leaves-door-open-for-premier-league-return-and-reveals-world-cup-hopes

Coates, C. (2021, November 1). “I’d have to” – Ivan Toney makes Liverpool transfer admission after “main man” claim. Liverpool Echo. https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ivan-toney-liverpool-transfer-22027535

Correspondent, P. O. T. (2026, April 15). Everton turn attention to Ivan Toney deal, he’s ‘very much open’ to transfer. Football Insider. https://www.footballinsider247.com/everton-turn-attention-to-ivan-toney-deal-hes-very-much-open-to-transfer/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Desk, G. S. (2025, September 25). Ivan Toney of Al Ahli Saudi Pro League: His contract, net worth, earnings, and more. The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/saudi-football/news/ivan-toney-of-al-ahli-saudi-pro-league-his-contract-net-worth-earnings-and-more/articleshow/124104769.cms

Ivan Toney – Player profile 25/26. (n.d.). Transfermarkt. https://www.transfermarkt.co.in/ivan-toney/profil/spieler/251664

Millne, S. (2023, August 21). Ivan Toney reveals love for Liverpool as he opens up on gambling addiction. This Is Anfield. https://www.thisisanfield.com/2023/08/ivan-toney-reveals-his-love-for-liverpool-as-he-opens-up-on-gambling-addiction/

Sky Sports. (2025, November 11). Ivan Toney transfers news: Premier League clubs enquire about return for striker after Saudi move. Sky Sports. https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13468499/ivan-toney-transfers-news-premier-league-clubs-enquire-about-return-for-striker-after-saudi-move

Wikipedia contributors. (2026, May 13). Ivan Toney. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Toney

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