Newcastle United have identified Brentford’s Ivan Toney to solve their goalscoring problems and are considering making a move for him this summer as they move on from Darwin Nunez.
Benfica striker Darwin Nunez is one of Europe’s most sought-after young strikers but is believed to be only willing to move to a club that will be playing Champions League football next season, ruling Newcastle United out of the picture. That has forced the Toon Army to start plotting alternatives to Nunez and the club has set their sights on Brentford star, Ivan Toney.
A youth product of the Northampton Town academy, Toney, 26, moved to Newcastle United in 2015 but wasn’t given a fair share of first-team chances. He managed just four appearances for the Magpies and was offloaded in 2018 by then manager Rafael Benitez.
The 26-year-old moved to Peterborough United in 2018, and after a couple of dazzling seasons in League One, he was snapped up by Brentford in the summer of 2020. Toney instantly hit the ground running with Brentford in the Championship and played a major role in getting the Bees promoted to the top-flight in the 2020/21 season.
And the centre-forward has silenced his detractors in the Premier League, scoring 12 goals in 28 appearances so far. Toney’s impressive performances have not gone unnoticed, with Newcastle United planning to re-sign him in the summer transfer window.
Newcastle to spend big in the summer?
Newcastle United have all but secured safety in the top-flight after a dreadful first half of the season. Backed by the rich owners in the January transfer window, Eddie Howe has done a brilliant job at St. James’ Park and deserves plaudits. He has revived the club’s fortunes, improved a lot of players and entertained the Geordies by making the team play an energetic, attacking brand of football—all in the span of just seven months.
Now that Newcastle are just three points off hitting the magical 40-point mark, Howe and the board have seemingly started planning for the summer transfer window. They are among a host of Premier League clubs expected to be in the market with a number of strikers potentially on the move.
Ivan Toney could be a top acquisition for the Magpies
Ivan Toney has been recently linked with a return to Newcastle United. The 26-year-old has been a top performer for Brentford since joining in 2020 from Peterborough United and has caught the attention of many clubs with his goal-scoring exploits in the Premier League.
This season, Toney has shown that he has all it takes to thrive in the hustle and bustle of the English top-flight. With Callum Wilson injury prone and Chris Wood already 30, he could return to Newcastle and be the main man up front for Eddie Howe next season. Plus, Newcastle’s financial muscle is unlikely to hamper any potential deal for the Brentford star if they are hell-bent on signing him.
All in all, a player like Toney could become a key part of the exciting Newcastle United project under Eddie Howe that is set to kick on this summer.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
