Peterborough United director of football Barry Fry has revealed that he has received "phone calls from big clubs" concerning West Ham United and Leeds United target Ivan Toney.
The 25-year-old scored his 30th goal of the season in the 3-1 win against Bristol City today – a campaign that has also seen him provide 10 assists.
Toney only joined the Bees from Peterborough last summer but it looks as though he could be on the move again when the transfer window opens, with West Ham and Leeds among the sides linked with the Championship top scorer.
Speaking exclusively to Football Fan Cast, Fry addressed the in-demand forward and revealed there had been interest from some big clubs.
He said: "They’ve always been interested in Ivan Toney and I spoke to people at West Ham in the summer about Ivan but they thought I was asking for too much money and they thought the jump into the Premier League was too big. However, they were interested in him and are still interested in him.
“He is one that was on their list in the summer and I’m sure he’ll be on their list this summer as well. So I wouldn’t rule that out at all, but West Ham will have opposition from other Premier League clubs, because I’ve personally had phone calls from big clubs who want to check out what he’s like."
As his contract at Brentford is set to run until 2025, the west London club will be in a strong negotiating position concerning the striker with sources informing Football League World.
His job at the Bees is not done yet, however, as Thomas Frank's side are set to face Bournemouth in the Championship play-off semi-final.
The Verdict
It's no surprise to hear that there is a lot of interest in Toney ahead of the summer.
He's been the best striker in the Championship this season and has dealt with the step up from League One easily.
A move to the Premier League would be another leap entirely but it seems there are plenty of sides ready to offer him the chance of doing that.
West Ham seems a fantastic fit but it seems they may have their work cut out signing him, particularly if the interest from the big clubs mentioned turns into offers.