Newcastle United have set their sights on Brentford frontman Ivan Toney as they move on from Darwin Nunez.
After an impressive season in the Premier League, a host of Brentford players could be in demand in the upcoming summer transfer window. One of them is Ivan Toney, with Newcastle United recently identifying him as the ideal alternative to previous top target Darwin Nunez, reports Telegraph.
It appears Newcastle have accepted the fact that Nunez wants to join a Champions League club come the end of the season. It has compelled them to look elsewhere, with Toney emerging as an ideal option.
A native of Northampton, Toney used to play for Newcastle United during the early stages of his career. But he was offloaded in 2018 by Rafa Benitez, who thought the Englishman didn’t have what it takes to become a top quality Premier League player. He joined Peterborough in 2018 and within a couple of years, moved to Brentford.
Toney’s explosive performances during the 2020/21 Championship campaign were vital in helping the Bees earn promotion to the top flight. And while many doubted the striker’s ability to perform in the Premier League, he has once again silenced his critics by scoring 12 goals this term, in 28 league appearances.
The 26-year-old’s impressive performances have compelled Newcastle United to contemplate re-signing the forward. Toney did not enjoy the greatest of spells at Newcastle, but the report speculates he could be open to a potential return to St James’ Park in the summer.
Toney could indeed pounce on the opportunity of becoming the primary striker for an ambitious Newcastle United project, with the new owners keen on making the Magpies one of the strongest clubs in European football.
Falling in line with such ambitions, Newcastle have simultaneously targeted other gifted forwards in the market this summer. One of the priority options is Hugo Ekitike, with the Magpies strongly emerging as the favourites to secure the services of the young and exciting Reims forward next season.
The offensive combination between Ekitike and Toney, coupled with the creative support of Ryan Fraser, Allan Saint-Maximin and Kieran Trippier could breed new life to the Newcastle United attack, potentially making them a strong candidate to finish in European places next season.
