Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has labelled Ivan Toney ‘one of the best I’ve ever seen’ as Premier League rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur line up the £50 million-rated Brentford striker.
Now, Guardiola has a habit of letting his mouth run away with him a little when raving on about the talents of opposition players.
The Man City manager famously described Matheus Nunes as one of the finest footballers on planet earth ahead of a Champions League clash with Sporting Lisbon, and then rather brutally rowed back on those claims after luring the Portuguese international to the Etihad Stadium.
His effusive praise for Ivan Toney, however, is no repeat of that. Or, indeed, that memorable Nathan Redmond exchange, the Brentford talisman a proven, 20-goal-a-season Premier League marksman these days.
Pep Guardiola hails Brentford striker Ivan Toney
“He is so dangerous,” Guardiola said of Toney before and after Tuesday’s hard-fought 1-0 win over Thomas Frank’s side.
“He’s a master at using his body for the second ball… Good finishing. You can link with him, he’s one of the best I’ve ever seen (at that hold-up play).
“A few weeks ago the goal we conceded (a goal to Toney). We defended not properly but he did it really well. (Brentford) have the ability with Ivan Toney.
“He’s a master player. A really good player.”
Guardiola’s purring praise of the late-blooming centre-forward goes some way to explaining why Toney was welcomed back so enthusiastically after his lengthy ban. It also explains why Brentford supporters will be so sad to see him go, HITC Football understanding that Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are among this admirers.
Toney has made no secret of his desire to move onto a so-called ‘bigger club’ as he approaches his peak. And, with his contract expiring in 2025, HITC understands Brentford may consider offers in the region of £50 million.
A successor may have already arrived, too, in the shape of Igor Thiago. The Club Brugge frontman joins The Bees for £30 million.
A Harry Kane replacement at Spurs?
Should he end up at Spurs, the former Newcastle United youngster could fill a void created by the departure of Harry Kane. With his fearsome finishing, his masterful link-play and his ability to lead the line as a ‘number nine’ or drop in as a ‘ten’, Toney shares more in common with Kane than most.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have scored 11 goals in their last two Premier League matches. But there remains a consensus that Mikel Arteta’s mobile, threat-from-all-angles side would benefit from the signing of a genuine, top-level centre-forward.
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