West Ham Urged to Secure Ivan Toney Over Tottenham in £50m Transfer Battle

West Ham United has been strongly advised to outmaneuver Tottenham Hotspur in the pursuit of Brentford star Ivan Toney, potentially making the ‘signing of the decade’ for the club.

Ivan Toney concluded the last season with four goals and two assists in 17 appearances, despite missing a significant portion due to a betting ban. He remains one of England's top-rated center-forwards, having scored 20 goals in 33 Premier League matches the previous season and showing his skill during limited playtime at Euro 2024.

Brentford's manager, Thomas Frank, has acknowledged the possibility of Toney leaving this summer. While Frank prefers to retain the striker, he understands Brentford may sell if a substantial offer arrives, especially with Toney's contract expiring in June 2025.

Recently, it was revealed that Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea have cooled their interest in Toney, who is available for around £50 million. This situation has ignited a transfer showdown between London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.

Darragh MacAnthony, chairman of Toney's former club Peterborough United, has emphasized the importance for West Ham to secure Toney before Tottenham, labeling it as one of the most significant transfers in the club's recent history.

MacAnthony stated, “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."

West Ham Transfers: Ivan Toney a Game-Changing Signing

MacAnthony added, “It would be the best signing West Ham have made in 12 years, instead of a foreign striker for £70m who couldn’t hit a barn door.”

West Ham has had its share of unsuccessful striker signings, such as Gianluca Scamacca, who failed to meet expectations after joining in July 2022 but has since excelled at Atalanta. Given Toney’s familiarity with the Premier League, his signing would pose significantly less risk for West Ham.

The transfer is also of interest to MacAnthony as Peterborough United stands to gain from a sell-on fee when Toney departs Brentford. However, MacAnthony clarified that the club expects to receive between £3-5 million, not the speculated £10 million or more.