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Why West Ham Must Sign Brentford’s Wonder Striker

By Mia Claydon

West Ham target Ivan Toney (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
West Ham target Ivan Toney (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images) /
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With the start of West Ham’s 2021/22 season rolling ever closer, the Hammers still only have one striker in Michail Antonio.

The 31-year-old, although a fantastic servant to the club, has had his fair share of injuries – his hamstring being a recurring issue. Plenty of attacking names have been thrown around for West Ham in this transfer window, yet many have been snatched up already.

Patson Daka, Danny Ings, Olivier Giroud, and Marko Arnautovic are all players that David Moyes was interested in bringing to the London Stadium, but have since been signed to new clubs. Targets that are yet to leave their clubs include Tammy Abraham, Divock Origi, and Adam Armstrong, but according to West Ham’s ITK ExWHUEmployee, no deals are currently close. This begs the question, why haven’t West Ham looked into signing Championship record-breaker, Ivan Toney?

WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND – JULY 17: Ivan Toney of Brentford during the Pre-Season Friendly between AFC Wimbledon and Brentford at Plough Lane on July 17, 2021 in Wimbledon, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND – JULY 17: Ivan Toney of Brentford during the Pre-Season Friendly between AFC Wimbledon and Brentford at Plough Lane on July 17, 2021 in Wimbledon, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /

Northampton-born Toney has played for his fair share of football clubs. From beginning his professional career in his hometown, the 25-year-old signed permanently for Newcastle United in 2015. In that same season, Toney was sent on loan two loans to Barnsley – in which he won both the Football League Trophy and League One play-offs.

In the 2016/17 season, he was once again loaned out in League One, where he played for Shrewsbury Town for half a season. Toney racked up 7 goals in 26 appearances in all competitions for The Shrews, and was subsequently loaned to fellow League One club Scunthorpe United for the remainder of the season. The summer of 2017 saw the young striker join Wigan Athletic on yet another loan to the English third division, but was cut short after being called back to Newcastle in January 2018.

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 12: Ivan Toney of Northampton Town celebrates after scoring his sides 2nd goal during the Capital One Cup First Round match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Northampton Town at Molineux on August 12, 2014 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 12: Ivan Toney of Northampton Town celebrates after scoring his sides 2nd goal during the Capital One Cup First Round match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Northampton Town at Molineux on August 12, 2014 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images) /

In the summer of 2018, Toney finally got the permanent deal he so desperately needed to accelerate his career. He signed for Peterborough United on a long-term contract, for an undisclosed fee – and began the 2019-20 season with 7 goals in 7 games, including a hatrick in a 6-0 win over Rochdale. Toney scored 9 times in his last 7 games for The Posh, before the season was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That season, he was named League One’s best player in the EFL Awards, after scoring 26 goals in all competitions.

SCUNTHORPE, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 13: Ivan Toney of Peterborough United during the Sky Bet League One match between Scunthorpe United and Peterborough United at Glanford Park on October 13, 2018 in Scunthorpe, United Kingdom. (Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)
SCUNTHORPE, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 13: Ivan Toney of Peterborough United during the Sky Bet League One match between Scunthorpe United and Peterborough United at Glanford Park on October 13, 2018 in Scunthorpe, United Kingdom. (Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images) /

The 2020 summer transfer window saw then-Championship side Brentford sign Toney for Peterborough’s record transfer fee – estimated to be around £5 million and £10 million with add-ons. Toney’s first season in the Championship saw him rewrite the record books, as he scored a whopping 33 goals in 48 league matches.

He didn’t just score goals either, accumulating a very unselfish 10 assists – successfully completing 65% of all the passes he attempted. The player who previously had the most goals in a Championship season is none other than Glenn Murray, who set the record in Crystal Palace in the 12/13 season. This season proved very successful for Toney, whose honours include the Brentford Supporter’s Player of the Year; EFL Championship Golden Boot; PFA EFL Championship Team of the Year, and EFL Championship Play-Off Final.

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 21: Ivan Toney of Brentford FC holds the man of the match award following the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Brentford at Hillsborough Stadium on October 21, 2020 in Sheffield, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 21: Ivan Toney of Brentford FC holds the man of the match award following the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Brentford at Hillsborough Stadium on October 21, 2020 in Sheffield, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images) /

Still only 25, it can be argued that Toney is reaching the form of his life. It is expected, if he can produce a quality season, that he will be edging towards a senior call-up for Gareth Southgate’s England squad. In March 2021, reports suggested that Toney would be called up to the Jamaican team – but declined due to his aspirations to play for his birth country.

Now, about to begin a season in the Premier League, should be the time that West Ham jump for the striker. Young, hungry, and prolific, with an assist force of Said Benrahma, Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Fornals, and Manuel Lanzini, Toney could quite easily become England’s next big star.

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Transfermarkt.co.uk states that Toney’s current market value is £25.20 million. With his talent, age, and current contract taken into consideration, this is a relatively reasonable price. Chances of securing a deal for him is slim, as we are yet to be linked with him. Furthermore, newly-promoted Brentford will consider him a huge asset to the club, and will likely be reluctant to sell. However, this is a player that should not slip under Moyes’ radar, and will score plenty of goals next season; it’s just in his blood.

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