Peterborough director of football claims West Ham United turned down Ivan Toney for £10m
Peterborough United director of football Barry Fry has revealed he offered West Ham the opportunity to sign Ivan Toney for £10million before his move to Brentford.
Fry claimed the Hammers turned down that opportunity, but they will now be disappointed having seen him thrive at Brentford and, despite his recent troubles, being mentioned in discussions for the international frame.
The Posh director is apparently a fan of the East London club and makes sure to offer their best players to David Sullivan before anybody else.
Speaking to West Ham news source Claret & Hugh, Fry claimed: “I had offered the Hammers Ivan Toney for £10 million and was turned down so he eventually went to Brentford and despite his current problems is a top player and very much in the England frame when available.”
The Hammers will be regretting this one
Toney is now one of the Premier League’s most revered strikers and is reportedly being watched by the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea to solve their striker issues. West Ham, meanwhile, have striker issues of their own, but Toney would now be out of reach.
When Gianluca Scamacca left the club in the summer, it meant Michail Antonio and Danny Ings were David Moyes’ only options up front, and with both of them not considered good enough to lead the line for a competitive club, the search continues for a top-class number nine.
While there is no guarantee Toney would have become the player he is today if he had moved to East London rather than West in 2020, his talent is such that it may have been well worth the gamble.
The £10million price seems steep in comparison to the money he ultimately moved for, a £4.8million deal [Transfermarkt], but his homegrown status alone would usually boost that price, and his prowess and confidence in his play would suit David Moyes perfectly.
In other West Ham news, Fry also made another claim about a recent Hammers bid.