Pundit once claimed reported Leeds target has ‘more to his game’ than £28m Villa star

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Ivan Toney in a Leeds shirt next season would be some sight.

The thriving Championship striker has 25 goals to his name this season and is well on course to hitting 30+ for the campaign – and potentially smashing some long-standing records in England’s second-tier.

Toney’s form in a Brentford shirt hasn’t gone unnoticed, with TeamTalk claiming that Leeds are ‘keeping tabs’ on the 24-year-old hitman.

In January, pundit Darren Bent claimed on Sky Sports that the one-time Newcastle player has ‘more to his game’ than Aston Villa’s thriving star, Ollie Watkins.

“His movement is absolutely superb,” said Bent. “Senses where the danger is going to be and gets himself in there. He’s good in the air and he has two good feet.

“But where I think he excels to a Ollie Watkins and a [Neal] Maupay is that I think he’s more clinical. In and around that box with his finishing. I think he’s more cultured to his finishing. He has got more to his game and there are different types of finishes.

“Whereas Watkins is a very, very good player and he might say that he’s a little bit better than him all round. But in and around the goal if I give them both an opportunity to score a goal then I fancy Ivan Toney.”

Those comments from Bent didn’t sit well with Watkins, who called him out on his comments on talkSPORT.

The ex-Spurs forward then stated that Toney wouldn’t score more goals than the Villa man but he feels he has a better ‘variety’ of finishes.

Nonetheless, in the summer, Villa took the risk of putting £28 million on the table (BBC Sport) for Watkins’ services from Brentford and they are now reaping the rewards.

He has ten Premier League goals and three assists to his name this season, not forgetting that he has been a key figure in Villa’s strong defensive record because of his tireless and intelligent off-the-ball work.

Perhaps Leeds should follow suit because when it comes to taking risks on talented players, those from Brentford usually deliver because of their track record of churning out star player after star player.