Darragh MacAnthony believes if West Ham chairman David Sullivan had ‘any common sense’ he would try to sign Ivan Toney.
The Brentford striker was the subject of months and months of transfer speculation last year, with Arsenal and Manchester United amongst the clubs interested in signing him.
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Toney has been tipped to make a move across LondonCredit: Getty
But his betting charge and subsequent eight-month ban saw any potential moves over the last season go off the table.
He returned to football in January and went on to represent England at Euro 2024, netting a penalty in the perfect quarter-final shootout against Switzerland.
talkSPORT reported last month that Brentford will refuse to sell England striker Ivan Toney for any less than £60million.
But the owner of Toney’s former club, League One Peterborough, believes he knows just the man who would want to try and get the Bees talisman for a cut price.
Speaking on talkSPORT’s White and Jordan about where he thinks the England striker will go next, MacAnthony said: “I think for me, the betting man [in me] would say, knowing what David Sullivan is like at West Ham, he’s always liked Ivan Toney.
“He’ll try and basically get him at a dropped-down bargain offer from Brentford.
“And I know the Brentford people and they’d be like ‘no chance’. But I know Sullivan will try, and if he had any common sense he would.
“It would be the best signing West Ham have made in 12 years, instead of a foreign striker for £70million who couldn’t hit a barn door.”
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MacAnthony thinks Sullivan would love ToneyCredit: Getty
He then doubled-down on the reports of Manchester United previously being keen on Toney – and the Red Devils weren’t the only ones.
“They would have loved to have signed him and should have signed him,” he said. “And the outside tip, and don’t forget where I live because I live in America, is Tottenham.
Barry Fry jokes that he rings Brentford every day to ask about Ivan Toney transfer news and says it would be like ‘winning the lottery’ for Peterborough
“And I think, if they got Richarlison gone, and got him in, they’d finally have a top three team to mirror his style and what he wants to do.”
And despite reports of Posh expecting to receive a huge sell-on fee for their former player, MacAnthony set the record straight and clarified that it won’t be as big as some outlets have said it will be.
He said: “Sky came out and said I was going to get 15 to 20 million [pounds for Toney], I was like ‘what are you doing?’
“Every club we’re going to try and buy off thinks we’re loaded. We’ll probably end up, after Newcastle get paid their bit and everyone else, probably three, four, five million.”
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Toney has netted 72 goals for BrentfordCredit: Getty
When asked about rumours of Toney wanting a big wage, MacAnthony said “Well that’s nonsense and I know that for a fact. I know his agent very well.
“I speak to his agent every week because he’s got two of our players.”
Toney has one year left on his current Brentford contract.
He signed for the Bees in the Championship in 2020, joining from Peterborough for a fee of £5 million and around £10 million with add-ons, Posh’s transfer record.
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