Newcastle United have reportedly made first contact over a move for Manchester United target Ivan Toney, valued at around £45 million by Brentford.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, via his exclusive Caught Offside column, has offered an update on the future of Ivan Toney. The Brentford striker is currently one of the most in-demand players in the market, with several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, interested in securing his services. Newcastle United, in particular, have established initial contact, exploring the possibility of a move.
Recent reports claimed that Manchester United are keeping tabs on Toney’s situation, as are West Ham United, Newcastle United and Leeds United. The suitors are sizing up a summer move for the 26-year-old, who is reportedly valued at around £40-45 million and still has three years left on his Brentford contract.
It was suggested that the Red Devils’ pursuit of Toney could hinge on what the future holds for Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Martial. Manchester United are wary of leaving themselves short in numbers in the striking department, having already lost Edinson Cavani earlier in the summer.
However, Romano has claimed that there have been no offers yet from Manchester United’s side for Toney. Meanwhile, Newcastle have made first contact with Brentford over the feasibility of a move for their star striker. But the negotiations are not in the advanced stages as of yet, even though the contact puts them at the front of the queue for the time being.
Toney was previoisly on the books at St. James’ Park as a youngster. But he left Newcastle in 2018, dropping as low as England’s third tier to join Peterborough United for a nominal fee after making just four first-team appearances for the Magpies. However, Toney has since revived his flailing career and shone in the Premier League for Brentford last season.
Toney scored 12 goals and provided five assists during his first full top-flight season, and his efforts were crucial in keeping the Bees away from relegation. It must also be noted that his 32-goal Championship campaign was a major factor behind Brentford’s promotion to the Premier League in the first place.
Having already lost a key player in Christian Eriksen to Manchester United, Brentford have no intentions of selling their in-demand frontman. And only exorbitant offers in the region of £40 million would force the Bees to rethink their stance.
Newcastle have spent almost half of their transfer budget to secure deals for Nick Pope, Matt Targett, and Sven Botman in the summer. They have been looking for attackers this summer but have only faced frustrations in their pursuits of highly-coveted attackers, such as Moussa Diaby, Alexander Isak, and Hugo Ekitike.
With no breakthrough in sight despite their best efforts, Newcastle could be ready to spend the remainder of their budget on a single attacker if they acquire the player they want. Whether that player is former academy graduate Toney remains to be seen.
