Ivan Toney has called out Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes for what he said about the Saudi Pro League after he snubbed Al-Hilal.
Al-Hilal were willing to pay United £100m for the Portuguese midfielder and give the 30-year-old an eye-watering £700,000-a-week tax-free deal.
Fernandes, though, rejected the lucrative offer, insisting that he wanted to continue playing at the ‘highest level’ and ‘in the big competitions’.
Those comments appear to have irked Toney, who left the Premier League for Saudi Arabia last year when he swapped Brentford for Al-Ahli.
‘Bruno Fernandes hasn’t seen Saudi Pro League’
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‘He obviously hasn’t seen the league,’ England international striker Toney told talkSPORT about Fernandes’ remarks.
‘The standard is high. I always say this, people always judge it on not seeing it, you know?
‘And you have to see it first hand to have your own opinion. If people went there and went to some games, they’d soon realise.
‘I know it’s a good standard. You would never knock it once you’ve been there. It is tough.’
Why did Bruno Fernandes stay at Man Utd?
Fernandes, speaking about his decision to remain at Old Trafford this week, said: ‘It was a very ambitious proposal [from Al-Hilal].
‘The president was a fantastic person. We never discussed the amount [initially]. With my agent? Of course.
‘Then, I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career. She was someone who always supported me a lot.
‘It was an easy move, even at a family level. I had Joao Cancelo there, my children are used to playing with him in the national team, we have a great friendship
‘But I want to maintain myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions, and I feel capable of it.’
Toney, meanwhile, has shined since he joined Saudi club Al-Ahli, scoring 30 goals across 44 games to date.
He was recently named in the England squad by Thomas Tuchel, with the Three Lions boss opting to pick Toney instead of Dominic Solanke.
‘Ivan deserves to be with us I think,’ Tuchel told a press conference last month.
‘I’m convinced because he scored over 20 goals for Al-Ahli this season.
‘He’s won a major title with the Asian Champions League, a big involvement in the team with goals and assists and a huge contribution.’