Manager says ‘huge talent’ Celtic reportedly bid for ‘will leave’

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Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson has told The Peterborough Telegraph that Ivan Toney will leave, amid reported interest from Celtic among other clubs.

Ferguson has said that there is a lot of interest from other clubs in Toney, and he does not expect the former Newcastle United striker to stay at the Posh for much longer.

Toney has turned down a move to Championship club Brentford, according to The Peterborough Telegraph, while Sky Sports reported last week that Celtic want to sign the 24-year-old, with the report adding that the Scottish Premiership club’s opening bid has been turned down.

The Daily Record has claimed that Celtic could try to tempt Toney to Celtic Park ‘with the carrot of Champions League football’.

Ferguson told The Peterborough Telegraph: “There’s so much interest in him now I expect he will leave. If he doesn’t then fine because he’s a huge talent, but we told him in January that we would let him go in the summer if we didn’t go up and Ivan is ready to leave.

“I was lucky we kept him last season and it’s still the case that the owners don’t have to sell him and they won’t if they don’t get what they want for him.

“But Ivan is in the last year of his contract now so it makes sense to sell him and I expect he will go purely because so many clubs are after him.”

Should Celtic make another bid for Ivan Toney?

Celtic recently signed Albian Ajeti from West Ham United, and manager Neil Lennon said last week that he does not plan to send Leigh Griffiths out on loan this summer, as quoted in The Glasgow Evening Times.

Odsonne Edouard remains the number one striker at the Glasgow giants, who now have three senior strikers in their squad.

However, given how good Toney is and the fact that he is only 24 years of age, the former Newcastle man would be a good signing for Celtic.

Griffiths has not been at his best for a while now, and while Ajeti is a good player, Toney is more prolific and would make Celtic even stronger in attack and given Lennon a very good option.

According to Transfermarkt.co.uk, Toney scored 24 goals in League One in 2019-20 and found the net 16 times in the league in 2018-19.

Meanwhile, The Daily Record has reported that Celtic are reluctant to pay the loan fee of between £2 million and £3 million that Brighton and Hove Albion are looking for Shane Duffy and do want to pay the defender’s full wages during his season-long loan spell.